Border Administration, Infrastructure Major Barriers to Trade in ASEAN Countries

• Vietnam most improved ASEAN member over the past year thanks to better market access
• Singapore is the world leader in enabling trade; the rest of ASEAN achieves mixed performance
• Trade facilitation is key for achieving the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015

Hanoi, Vietnam, 3 June 2010 - The World Economic Forum is releasing today the Enabling Trade in the Greater ASEAN Region report, which looks at the obstacles and enablers of trade in seven ASEAN member countries. The study draws on the results of the Enabling Trade Index (ETI) 2010. The ETI ranks 125 economies worldwide, based on their ability to fully benefit from trade in the following areas: market access, border administration, transport and communication infrastructure, and business environment.

High grade antimony and tungsten discovery

THURSDAY, 3 JUNE 2010

 

 

Anchor Resources Ltd (ASX code: AHR) is pleased to announce that a new high grade antimony/tungsten shoot has been discovered parallel to the Wild Cattle Creek deposit in northeastern NSW. In addition, further successful results have been achieved on the main breccia zone.

 

• New high grade shoot

            ► Hole 10WRD16 intersected 1.4m at 17.1% Sb and 2.2% WO₃

            ► Hole 10WRD16W intersected 2m at 14.5% Sb and 1.1% WO₃

• Main breccia zone

            ► Hole 10WRD17 intersected 8m at 2.8% Sb

• The drill program is now complete with twelve holes drilled
• Assays from final holes still pending
• Antimony price remains at record highs

 

Managing Director, Trevor Woolfe, commented “A high grade antimony/tungsten shoot has been intersected approximately 35 metres to the north of the Wild Cattle Creek main breccia zone. It is open at depth and along strike to the west. Anchor is encouraged that this may be the beginnings of a rich new additional resource.”

Titanium from ThyssenKrupp VDM ensures safety in the new A 380 super-jumbo

The part itself is relatively small for such a huge aircraft, but it's of crucial importance for the safety of the new Airbus A 380. Hidden away in the undercarriage of the double-decker super-jumbo is a dense forged part in which numerous holes have been drilled to form a pipe system. Without this titanium component, the plane's brakes would not work. It is needed for the brake hydraulics of the world's biggest and most advanced passenger aircraft, and it has to be able to withstand severe loads and pressures of 300 bar. To meet these special requirements, the part is made from the titanium alloy Ti6Al4V, produced at ThyssenKrupp VDM's Essen plant. But many structural parts of the A 380 would also have been impossible to make without the company's high-performance materials. For example, molds used to produce carbon-fiber composite (CFRP) components were manufactured from nickel alloys from ThyssenKrupp VDM (Werdohl).

The new Airbus A 380 is soon to start operating out of Germany for the first time. On June 11, scheduled flights will commence on the busy routes to Asia and North America. Five days earlier, the German national soccer team will depart for South Africa on board one of these aircraft to take part in the World Cup. Theoretically, the world's largest passenger plane can seat up to 850 people. The super-jumbo is 24 meters high, 73 meters long and weighs around 560 metric tons. And it would be much heavier still were it not for the use of titanium. This material combines extremely high strength with low weight, good mechanical and thermal properties and corrosion and erosion resistance. Titanium can be as hard as steel, but weighs only half as much. Not least, that helps significantly reduce fuel consumption. That's why the engines, undercarriage, wing structures and airframe all contain large amounts of titanium. "As aircraft become bigger, they will need more and more titanium," says Helmut Jost, Project Manager Marketing and Regional Management at ThyssenKrupp VDM. "Around 140 tons of titanium are ordered to manufacture an Airbus A 380, and roughly 120 tons for the Boeing Dreamliner 787." The titanium content of modern jumbo jets accounts for 10 to 15 percent of their overall weight.

Special nickel alloys are not just used in aircraft components, but also in the tooling used to produce specific parts. These parts are made from carbon-fiber composite (CFRP), another important material in the construction of the latest aircraft. The lightweight plastic with embedded carbon fibers is cured in molds made of high-performance materials supplied by ThyssenKrupp VDM. In addition to wear resistance, a particularly important advantage of these materials is their low thermal expansion between room temperature and 200°C, the curing temperature of the plastic. "Certain nickel alloys, like the Pernifer 36 used here, display only a tenth of the thermal expansion of steels in this temperature range. That means that when curing and cooling CFRP parts in such molds, no thermal stresses occur and the parts are not damaged," explains Dr. Heinrich Scherngell, Head of Aerospace Sales at ThyssenKrupp VDM. This ensures that the high safety requirements of the aerospace sector are met.

The modern giants of the air surpass all their predecessors in power, size and looks. The particular mechanical and thermal loads to which the aircraft are exposed at high altitude call for materials capable of withstanding precisely these conditions while at the same time offering low weight, high strength and passenger comfort. "Modern aircraft construction would be inconceivable without titanium and nickel alloys," emphasizes Dr. Scherngell. "They allow us to make airplanes lighter, bigger and more energy efficient."

ThyssenKrupp VDM (Werdohl) is one of the world's leading suppliers of high-performance materials, special alloys and titanium mill products. Its main customers are in the plant engineering, energy, oil, gas, electrical, electronics, automotive and aerospace industries. The company has production facilities in Werdohl, Altena, Unna, Siegen and Essen as well as a sales office in Frankfurt/Main. It also has two plants in the USA and a global sales and distribution network. In the 2008/2009 fiscal year the company employed roughly 1,700 people and generated sales of more than 740 million euros.

India an Indispensable Partner, U.S. Officials Say

 

 

By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.

Staff Writer

 

Washington - President Obama has called India an "indispensable" partner for the United States in the 21st century, a senior American diplomat says.

 

"India matters to the United States because it's the world's largest democracy, but has the world's second-fastest growing economy and an economy that is a very important source of exports for the United States ... and also because it is an increasingly important partner for the United States in addressing common global concerns," says Robert Blake, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs.

 

India's growing role is why President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton decided early in 2009 to elevate relations by establishing a strategic dialogue, Blake said at a May 28 press briefing.

 

The comprehensive U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue  meets June 1-4 in Washington. It will be chaired by Clinton and Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna at the State Department. The dialogue provides high-level participation; briefings by the co-chairs to members of both administrations; and an opportunity for firsthand talks.

 

Blake said the purpose of this dialogue is to think strategically and to get the key people who work on these issues together to think ahead and also to plan for Obama's visit to India.

 

The strategic dialogue will meet annually, alternating between New Delhi and Washington, and will continue to be chaired by Clinton and Krishna. It was first announcedat a meeting in Washington July 20, 2009.

 

It will cover a range of issues, from common security interests and defense cooperation to nuclear nonproliferation, education, climate change and energy security. The dialogue is not limited to the two governments; it will include the private sector and academia.

 

Establishing a strategic dialogue between the United States and India represents a significant step in their bilateral relations and an important acknowledgement of India's increasing role in global affairs, Blake said in his briefing.

 

Obama spoke with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May 28 to discuss the upcoming U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, the White House said in a statement. "President Obama and Prime Minister Singh also expressed their hope that the dialogue will initiate a regular exchange of ideas and discussion between their governments and both pledged their support toward that end," the statement said.

 

As a result of the global Nuclear Security Summit  hosted by Obama in April, Singh pledged to build a center for nuclear security that will provide training for countries from a number of regions, Blake said. Singh also played an important role at Copenhagen climate change talks in December 2009 during a critical phase of the negotiations, he added.

 

Food security is also a new area of cooperation, Blake said. India will become a strong partner in efforts to enhance global food security initiatives.

 

"On health, we have established or are in the process of establishing a global disease-detection center that has the potential to be one of the flagship science and technology ventures between the United States and India in which our joint researchers will be able to study and hopefully find cures for some of the major global pandemic diseases," Blake said.

 

Blake said that on June 2 there will be both private-sector and government meetings, including the U.S.-India Business Council, which will be holding its 35th annual meeting. At the government level, Under Secretary of State William Burns and Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao will oversee a wide-ranging foreign policy dialogue that will include Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Middle East, probably China, and a number of other regional concerns.

 

The main strategic dialogue will be held June 3, with Clinton and Krishna leading the talks.

 

"It will be the first time that our two governments are going to have ... a whole-of-government conversation, about not so much what we've accomplished but to look ahead about what we can accomplish and particularly look ahead to the president's visit sometime this fall to India," Blake said.

 

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)

Global Agenda Council on the Future of Transportation Provides Recommendations to Pave the Way Towards the Sector's Transformation

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1 June 2010– Senior Director John Moavenzadeh of the World Economic Forum and members of the Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Transportation Patrick Oliva (Michelin), Jack Short (International Transport Forum), and Lewis Fulton (International Energy Agency) delivered a press conference today as part of the Challenge Bibendum events to announce the development and publication of a series of recommendations developed by the council. The recommendations are rooted in the need to raise the profile of the transportation sector in the global agenda discussions and to transform its state through enhanced global, national and cross-industry collaboration, adoption of best practices, and innovation in technological and financial mechanisms.

ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center relocates to Krefeld

270 people work at state-of-the-art service center

The 270 employees who just moved into their new headquarters in Krefeld have high hopes for the future. Supporting them are Detlef Schotten and Wilhelm Budéus, managing directors of ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center GmbH. "Krefeld is our new corporate home, and this is a sign of our firm commitment to North Rhine-Westphalia."

Construction work on the 150,000 square meter site in the Krefeld port area began in early 2008 and will shortly be completed. Featuring state-of-the-art machinery, sophisticated logistics and an optimum infrastructure, the new steel service center is to be inaugurated in the autumn. It will process around 600,000 metric tons of carbon steel slit strip and blanks - including high-strength steels in outer skin quality for the auto industry.

"We aim to maintain our position as one of the leading steel service centers in Germany and Europe and keep pace with ever increasing customer demands on the quality of our products and services," said Schotten to employees. That's why ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center is now bringing together the production operations, experience and expertise of its three North Rhine-Westphalian branches Bochum, Breyell and Leverkusen as well as its headquarters, formerly based in Langenfeld, here in Krefeld.

The new center will allow the company to increase its capacities to supply its customer base in Germany and Europe on a sustainable basis. A further argument in favor of the Krefeld location is its infrastructure. Krefeld port offers optimum waterway, road and rail links.

The company is also making a visual statement with the color-coordinated building complex. The color scheme blends in harmoniously with the surrounding landscape and the fresh colors in the production areas help create a pleasant working environment for employees.

ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center is part of the Materials Services business area and has further companies and equity interests in France, Poland, Spain and Portugal. Over 900 employees generate sales of over 1 billion euros. Services include: Custom processing of steel in the form of slit strip and blanks, supply chain management for customers and comprehensive customer support including technical advice. Materials processed include hot-rolled, cold-rolled and coated carbon steel, tin plate and stainless.

With 500 locations in 40 countries, the Materials Services business area specializes in materials distribution, logistics and services, the provision of technical services as well as services for industrial plants and steel mills. In addition to rolled steel, stainless steel, tubes and pipes, nonferrous metals, specialty materials and plastics, Materials Services also offers services from processing and logistics to warehouse and inventory management through to supply chain and project management.

Rio Tinto Australian investment and taxation payments

Rio Tinto today released figures confirming the level of direct taxes paid in Australia and its investment in Australian operations.

More than A$20 billion was paid in corporate taxes and royalties alone in the past 10 years. Rio Tinto’s effective tax rate averaged more than 35 per cent. About three quarters of these taxes and royalties have been paid in the past five years, underlining our growing tax contribution.

Rio Tinto Chief financial officer Guy Elliott said the data, verified by independent external auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers, would help end much of the uncertainty created by contradictory information that had emerged since the Government’s proposed mining super tax was announced on 2 May 2010.

“These figures confirm previous statements made by Rio Tinto about the level of tax paid in Australia. Misleading information propagated by other parties has not facilitated a proper dialogue about the importance of the minerals sector to all Australians. That’s why we thought it was important to get the facts out there,” Mr Elliott said.

“The details we are releasing today leave no room for doubt about Rio Tinto’s substantial contribution to Australia and the Australian economy,” he said.
“Put simply, these figures demonstrate that Rio Tinto, one of Australia’s biggest taxpayers, pays its fair share of taxes. It should also be emphasised that the data shows Rio Tinto has effectively invested all of its Australian profits, and more, back into Australia in the past decade.”

In Australia, Rio Tinto’s tax payments include royalties on the value and/or the volume of minerals extracted, in addition to company tax levied on the taxable income of the business.

In the past five years alone, Rio Tinto paid A$11.2 billion in company tax and A$4.1 billion in royalties.  The effective rate of taxation during that period averaged 34.7 per cent.

Corporate taxes amounted to A$14.6 billion and royalties were A$5.7 billion in the period 2000-2009. Rio Tinto’s rate of taxation over the 10 years to 2009 averaged 35.6 per cent of its earnings before tax payments in Australia.

Corporate tax and royalties

Time period         2000-2009        2005-2009
Corporate Tax        14.6b                  11.2b
Royalties                5.7b                    4.1b
Total Direct Taxes   20.3b                  15.3b
Effective Tax Rate   35.6%                 34.7%

Rio Tinto has generated net profit after tax of A$37.4 billion in Australia in the 10 years to 2009. During the same period the company re-invested more than A$38 billion back into Australia through capital expenditure (A$26.4 billion) and acquisitions (A$12.0 billion).

Investment in Australia

Time period                         2000-2009
Net Profit After Tax                 34.7b
Capital Expenditure                 26.4b
Acquisitions                            12.0b
Total investment in Australia    38.4b

*All figures in Australian Dollars

PricewaterhouseCoopers verified the financial data set out above against information presented in the Rio Tinto Group's audited financial statements and/or its income tax returns for the years 2000-2009. Effective tax rates have been calculated on a calendar year basis in line with our audited accounts.

Rio Tinto reiterates its desire to work constructively and cooperatively with the Government to engage in genuine tax reform that helps promote investment, create jobs and protect Australia’s international competitiveness.

About Rio Tinto
 
Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.