From southeast China to the California ports, a seemingly endless fleet of container ships has carried more and more cut-price merchandise to bargain-hungry U.S. consumers.
But the flow is now slowing as soaring costs for food, fuel and a host of other raw materials drive up prices inside China, making its exports more expensive too.
HONG KONG, June 20 (Reuters) - China's power fee hike will increase costs at electricity-hungry aluminium smelters and have a smaller impact on copper and zinc smelters, smelter officials and analysts said on Friday.
Rising costs would trim profits at the smelters but are not seen forcing them to cut production this year.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's surprise increase of fuel and power prices on Thursday will not only not undermine the country's fight against inflation, the move reflects growing confidence overall price pressures can be contained.
The unpleasant news for motorists that their bill at the pumps is going up overnight by as much as 18 percent prompted consternation and anger about the rising cost of life.