Sun, Oct 06, 2002 - Page 10 News List

Exporters may see slump

BLOOMBERG , TOKYO

A disruption from the closure of US West Coast ports may also erode US sales of Asian companies because of delayed shipments or extra costs for diverted routes.

Hyundai Motor, South Korea's largest carmaker, has more than 1,000 cars waiting to be unloaded in the US, some analysts said.

Kia Motors said 540 of its vehicles are waiting to be unloaded.

"It's going to become a big problem for automakers' sales if the shutdown prolongs,'' said Anci Choi, who manages US$568 million at MyAsset Investment Management/Advisory Co in Seoul.

Hong Kong's Li & Fung sources garments on behalf of US companies, while Johnson Electric Holdings Ltd, a maker of small motors, sells a third of its products in North America.

"We're entering the peak season for exports and the US is the major destination," said Joseph Tang, head of research at Sun Hung Kai & Co.

Rajeev Malik, a regional economist at JP Morgan Chase & Co., estimates a monthlong strike may lower export receipts by up to 0.5 percent of Singapore's gross domestic product.

Asiana Airlines Inc, China Airlines and Asia-based airfreight companies may gain on rising demand for air cargo space as exporters try to bypass West Coast maritime ports.

"Demand for cargo for the US from Seoul and Southeast Asian countries is high, and we are planning to fly two chartered flights to [Los Angeles] to satisfy some of the demand," said Asiana spokesman Ma Jae Young. "Demand is usually high in September, October and November, but the port closures on the West Coast may also have an effect on demand."

In Taiwan, Ambit Microsystems Corp may gain on optimism it will say sales in September rose from the previous month. The company, which makes modems and power units for customers such as Dell Computer Corp., must report September sales by Oct. 10. Ambit said shipments of high-speed modems to customers such as Yahoo Japan Corp surged last month.

"September sales should be pretty strong because it's the peak season for electronics," said Liu Ju-ming, who manages US$14 million in stocks at Asia Pacific Investment Trust Co. "That may be a cue for the market to rebound after its recent drop."

Among economic indicators due next week, investors may monitor Japanese machinery orders for August on Tuesday. Orders probably fell 1 percent in August after rising 1.9 percent in July, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.

In the US, the University of Michigan survey of consumer confidence will be released on Oct. 11. Economists in a Bloomberg poll expect a reading of 85.5 from September's 86.1, which would be the fifth monthly decline.

"[US] profit growth and economic expectations have been dented," said Michael Wilson, who oversees US$710 million of assets as chief investment officer at Ausbil Dexia Ltd in Sydney.

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