Extractive industries
Minerals and mineral products
Mandalay jade traders say worst year ‘ever’ for sales
Jade traders in Mandalay say this could be the worst year ever for business. The main cause they cite is the absence of Chinese buyers, possibly nervous about the outcome of next month’s election. In interviews on 25 October at the Maha Aung Myay Gem Trading ...
Vietnam mulls new import tariff on alloy steel after fraud warning
Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance is considering changing a tax regulation following concerns that the rule has been abused by Chinese exporters to ship a large amount of steel to Vietnam without paying duties. Currently imported steel with at least 0.3 percent of chrome content will be exempt ...
Vietnam steel association wants fewer plants as supply surplus hurts industry
The Vietnam Steel Association has urged authorities not to go ahead with 27 planned steel plants since local output is already more than twice the demand. Some of the planned plants have not been started while others have proved impractical or are using outdated technology. Keep reading ...
Cambodian government and industry reps hear EITI experience
A visiting Mongolian delegation comprised of government, industry and civil society active in the petroleum and mining sectors shared their experience in implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) with their Cambodian counterparts at a workshop in Phnom Penh on 28 September. The EITI is an ...
Government puts mining licences on hold
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on 22 September told villagers protesting against a planned expansion of gold-mining areas that no new mining permits will be issued during ongoing legal disputes and an assessment period. He was responding to a rally by protesters from 12 provinces who oppose the planned ...
Chinese steel may flood Vietnam market
After the strong depreciation of the Chinese yuan, steel industry insiders have warned local steel producers that Chinese steel products could flood the Vietnamese market, causing difficulties for them. Vice-Chairman of the Vietnam Steel Association Nguyen Van Sua said although in recent years, the local steel ...
Gold prices unchanged at B18,200
Thailand’s Gold Traders Association have announced buying prices at 17,843.32 baht per baht weight for gold ornaments. Keep reading ...
Myanmar activists press Chinese mining firm for answers
Local activists have again failed in their bid to get a major Chinese mining company to answer questions about its involvement in mining activities in Sagaing Region. Ko Tint Aung Soe, a representative of the Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability in Sagaing Region, told The ...
Vietnam destroys 60 illegal gold mines in central region
Quang Ngai Province’s Military Command announced 27 July they had destroyed 60 illegal gold mines within 6 days, by one week earlier than previously planned. Government agencies have coordinated with Engineer Corps to carry a ton of explosives to the sites. Keep reading ...
Caution urged as Myanmar poised to embrace more mining
New mining laws in Myanmar are expected to come into place after November’s national elections, enticing more foreign investment, but rights groups fear local communities could be imperiled without more solid legal protections. Analysts say Myanmar’s mining industry is still at the “frontier” stage of development ...
