COAL DEFICIT IN EUROPE

Wanganui Chronicle, 5 November 1949, Page 5

COAL DEFICIT IN EUROPE

Efforts To Reduce It (By a Reuter Correspondent in Geneva). Europe's coal deficit for the last quarter of this year Is estimated at 3,400,000 tons, accordirtg to figures released here by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (E.C.E.) It could be substantially reduced if present negotiations for over 1,000,000 tons of Belgian coal are successful, a Commission spokesman stated. He added that, as in previous quarters, currency difficulties are preventing the allocation of the Belgian, coal although there is hope that negotiations now going on between Belgium, France, French North Africa and Portugal will absorb the major part of it.

At the same time, Europe has a surplus of nearly 500,000 tons of unallocated coke and patent fuels for the last quarter of this year. This is understood to be due to a general recession of the European steel industry and is most noticeable in France and Luxembourg, Europe's two main coke importers. Under an agreement between the United Kingdom and the Bizonal Authorities of Germany, Britain will send an additional 90,000 tons of low grade gas coals for consumption in the North German port areas of Bremen and Hamburg. This will enable the Bizonal authorities to release 50,000 tons of much needed high grade coal for export.

The statement of the Economic Commission for Europe reveals that a total of 13,125,000 tons of European coal has been recommended for allocation to the 17 European countries and Trieste for the fourth quarter of this year. This is a decrease of about 400,000 tons over the estimated allocations for the third quarter. The coming quarter’s figure includes 8,700,000 tons of solid fuels expected to move under normal trade agreements between participation countries in both eastern and western Europe. Poland will be the largest coal exporter during the forthcoming quarter with a total of 4,531,000 tons, followed by the bizonal area of Germany with 4,231.100 tons. The United Kingdom is third largest exporter with a total of 3,050,000 tons —an increase of 179,000 tons over the planned shipments of the preceding quarter. British coal exports in the forthcoming quarter are expected to be allocated as follows: Belgium 75,00 tons; Denmark 635,000 tons; France 360,000 tons; Netherlands 161,000 tons; Norway 114,000 tons; Italy 457,500 tons; Finland 170,000 tons: and Ireland 455,500 tons. Coke production in Bizonal Germany, which totalled 1,225,000 tons was the highest tonnage for any one quarter since the end of the war. This has resulted, in part, in the surplus of coke in Europe for lhe coming thrfee months. The Coal Committee of the United Nations has asked the bizonal authorities to do everything possible to make available the maximum quantities of coals for which the demand could not be met. A drafting committee of nine members met last month (October) to draw up a document for the Coal Committee’s November meeting.