Traders were quick to hit their sell buttons as official figures released in Beijing today showed exports in February were down a whopping 25.4 percent from the previous year.
Long-term, the deal could be viewed as the first step of a more disciplined approach to iron ore supply by aligning two of the world’s “big four” producers of the commodity.
The recent surge in prices of gold, oil and other commodities has come prematurely, says the bank, arguing that lower prices are needed for markets to rebalance.
EY notes that after the fifth consecutive year of declining deal volume and values, increasing levels of financial distress will trigger more divestments, spin-offs, joint ventures and possibly hostile takeover bids.