BHP Billiton
(ASX:BHP) boss Marius Kloppers is expected to visit some of the mining giant’s most important customers in China next week.
Its part of a routine visit that BHP carries out at least once a year.
But it comes amid questions over why no benchmark pricing discussions for iron ore in 2010 have taken place with the Chinese.
Whilst iron ore benchmarks are unlikely to be on the agenda for this visit, analysts are tipping that should the discussion come up, Kloppers is likely to restate the company’s desire to abolish benchmark pricing for iron ore and instead sell at indexed prices.
BHP Billiton’s 2009 net profit came in at $7.2 billion.
