India

India Cement Maker Pays For $26m Russian Coal Cargo in Yuan

 

India’s biggest cement producer is to pay for a $26 million cargo of Russian coal with Chinese yuan.

In what could be a groundbreaking move, UltraTech Cement’s purchase could help insulate Moscow from the effects of western sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine if others follow its lead.

It could also bolster Beijing’s push to further internationalise its currency and chip away at the dominance of the US dollar in global trade.

 

Also on AF: US Says Five Chinese Companies Support Russia’s Military

 

UltraTech is bringing in 157,000 tonnes of coal from Russian producer SUEK, according to an Indian customs document reviewed by Reuters. It cites an invoice dated June 5 that values the cargo at 172,652,900 yuan ($25.81 million).

Two trade sources familiar with the matter said the cargo’s sale was arranged by SUEK’s Dubai-based unit, adding that other companies have also placed orders for Russian coal using yuan payments.

The sources declined to be identified as they are not authorised to speak to the media. UltraTech and SUEK did not respond to a request seeking comment.

“This move is significant,” a Singapore-based currency trader said. “I have never heard any Indian entity paying in yuan for international trade in the last 25 years of my career. This is basically circumventing the [dollar].”

The sale highlights how India has maintained trade ties with Russia for commodities such as oil and coal despite the western sanctions. India has longstanding political and security ties with Russia and has refrained from condemning the attack in Ukraine, which Russia says is a “special military operation.”

 

India-Russia Rupee Payment Plan

India has explored setting up a rupee payment mechanism for trade with Russia, but that has not materialised. Chinese businesses have used the yuan in trade settlements with Russia for years.

India’s bilateral trade with China, for which companies largely pay in dollars, has flourished even after a deadly military clash between the two in 2020, though New Delhi has increased scrutiny on Chinese investments and imports, and banned some mobile apps over security concerns.

An Indian government official familiar with the matter said the government was aware of payments in yuan.

“The use of the yuan to settle payments for imports from countries other than China was rare until now, and could increase due to sanctions on Russia,” the official said.

India’s energy imports from Russia have spiked in the recent weeks as traders have offered steep discounts. New Delhi defends its purchases of Russian goods saying a sudden halt would inflate prices and hurt consumers.

 

  • Reuters with additional editing by Sean O’Meara

 

Read more:

China, India Positive on G7 Plan to Cap Russian Oil Price

China’s Move to Slash Inbound Traveller Quarantine Lifts Yuan

 

 

Sean O'Meara

Sean O'Meara is an Editor at Asia Financial. He has been a newspaper man for more than 30 years, working at local, regional and national titles in the UK as a writer, sub-editor, page designer and print editor. A football, cricket and rugby fan, he has a particular interest in sports finance.

Recent Posts

Bank of Japan Ends Negative Rates, as Ueda Normalises Policy

BOJ drops stimulus programme as the country finally emerges from deflation; central bank to end…

14 mins ago

Evergrande Founder Banned, Unit Fined For Securities Fraud

Hengda Real Estate said a CSRC probe found that it inflated revenues by $29.7 billion…

15 hours ago

China Praises Putin’s Election Win Despite Western Protests

Xi Jinping said Beijing was looking for even closer ties with Moscow while France's foreign…

16 hours ago

China Ups IPO Rules to Protect Investors With ‘Teeth And Horns’

Beijing will vet IPOs more closely, 'severely punish' securities fraud, and also increase supervision of…

19 hours ago

‘Don’t Help a Villain Do Evil’: China Slams SpaceX ‘Spy Network’

Chinese military researchers have been studying the role of Starlink satellites in the Ukraine war and…

20 hours ago

Large Korean Companies Getting Out of China – Business Korea

Dozens of South Korean companies have left China in recent years for reasons ranging from…

20 hours ago