DJ China: Anti-Dumping Probe On Methanol Imported From 4 Nations

The ministry said late-Wednesday that it aims to complete the investigation by June 24, 2010, or latest by Dec. 24 next year. The ministry said it will probe whether imports from these countries have harmed the domestic industry, it said. While methanol shipped in from these countries accounts for more than half of China’s total overseas purchases of the product, analysts said short-term impact of the move may be limited. “The summer season between June and August is a bleak time for methanol consumption, so prices are unlikely to be pushed up by the news,” said Huang Tao, a methanol analyst with an energy information portal Shanghai Toprise Information & Technology Co. In addition, results from the investigation won’t come out until late next year, he said. China produces methanol, a feedstock for making chemicals and alternative fuel, from its massive coal resources. Gas-rich countries such as those in the Middle East and southeast Asia generate methanol from gas, which is substantially cheaper than producing it from coal, Wang said. (June 25, 2009)