Export quota tender submitted via www.ec.com.cn. 37 companies participated in the tender and each company could submit only one tender. The minimum tender bid was 200 tonnes, and the maximum was reckoned according to the average annual amount of export and supply of the company** in 2005-2007: max. 50% of the average annual amount of export and supply for company with at least 2,000 tonnes in 2005-2007, and max. 700 tonnes for those with less than 2,000 tonnes. Quota allocation was based on the pricing of the bid. A 10% of the bidding price would be collected before 28.02.2009 as a guarantee. ** average annual amount of export and supply of the company = actual average annual amount of export x 0.9 + average amount of annual export value / national average unit export value x 0.1 + average annual amount of supply x 0.05, and if actual average annual amount of export > average annual amount of supply, then average annual amount of export and supply = actual average annual amount of export x 0.9 + actual average annual amount of export value / national average unit export value x 0.1      //// For the second round of public tender, the export amount of the company had to be 500 tonnes in 2008; or 2,000 tonnes for export supply.