Quote Originally Posted by percy View Post
Certainly do.
Rio Tinto have the bauxite needed to make Aluminium.
Should they be able to sell their bauxite to Chinese Aluminium Smelters for a top price, there will be no reason to keep Tiwai Point Smelter operating.
I would think to keep their profitable bauxite mining going, they will keep Tiwai operating.
All depends on their transfer pricing, and Chinese demand for bauxite.
Short term demand will be weak,but the longer term demand may be strong.
I have shares in Bauxite miner Metro Mining, and they are ramping up production to meet forecast demand.
I sure hope Tiwai continues in NZ, for many reasons, Other than the obvious importance to the local economy, seeing this relatively environmentally friendly smelter replaced by a coal spewing smelter in China that emits 10x more CO2 into the air, is a terrible thought. They have enough issues there now making electricity (from coal) to fuel their fast increasing number of electric cars. Go figure !!