Citic estimates up to $1bn impairment on Australia's Sino Iron project

12th March 2018 By: Reuters

HONG KONG – Chinese conglomerate Citic said it would book an impairment of $800-million to $1-billion on the value of its Sino Iron project in Australia for fiscal 2017.

"Impairment is a non-cash accounting item, but it will reduce the company's 2017 reported profits," chairman Chang Zhenming said in a filing to the Hong Kong bourse late on Sunday.

The company gave no further details. It is due to announce final results later in March.

In November, the Supreme Court of Western Australia awarded Australian businessman Clive Palmer's company about $150-million in damages in a dispute with Citic regarding Sino Iron mine.

Citic had in January filed an appeal regarding the judgment.

In its 2016 results the Chinese company made a non-cash impairment charge of HK$7.2-billion on the Sino Iron mine due to lower forecasts for the long-term price of iron-ore.