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March 19th, 2010
- General
Brantford Ontario - Steel majors on expansion spree despite low utilization
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Anticipating a strong growth in demand for steel, steelmakers have taken steps to boost their production around the world this week. On Wednesday, the world's largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal(MT), signed a preliminary agreement with its Turkish partner Dayen to produce 500,000 tons of steel-reinforcing bars annually in Iraq. Construction of the mill will start in the second quarter this year, while production is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Meanwhile, Asia's biggest steel maker, Posco, announced a $200 million expansion of a Vietnam plant to boost capacity from 85,000 tons to 200,000 tons. Chief Executive Chung Joon Yang is planning a record $8.2 billion capital spending this year.
Leading Russian steel maker Mechel OAO(MTL) announced Monday that it is establishing a representative office in China to manage expansion of the company's business in the country.
At least three U.S. wire rod producers have announced price increases for April on the back of a significant increase in scrap costs this month.
The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported Monday that U.S. Steel producers were running at 70.9% utilization rates. In comparison, utilization rates reported on the same day last year and last month were 40.9% and 68%, respectively. Weekly steel production reached 1.71 million tons, an increase of 1.9% over the previous week.
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March 19th, 2010
- General
Lisbon New Hampshire - New England wire producer diversifies
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| More than 100 years after it began producing custom cables and wires, a Lisbon fixture is branching out into the medical device field. Last Tuesday, officials at New England Wire Technologies cut the ribbon on its new manufacturing foray, New England Catheter. "We have seen many changes and challenges over the years and the complexity of our wire and cable products have increased to meet the needs of our customers," said Rick Jesseman. Founded in Lisbon in 1898, New England Wire employs about 300 people at its Main Street facility. Company President Rich Johns said that while New England Catheter has been a part of the company for a few years, New England Wire decided to make "a serious effort" in this particular field of medical device manufacturing.
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March 19th, 2010
- Personnel
Copenhagen Denmark - NKT Holding A/S announces employee representation on NKT's Board.
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| Thursday an ordinary election process took place in order to elect three employee representatives to become members of the NKT Holding Board of Directors as well as three alternate members.The result of the election is as follows: Re-elected board member: Gunnar Karsten Jørgensen, montør, NKT Flexibles I/S, Kalundborg His alternate member: Niels-Henrik Dreesen, PTA Manager, NKT Cables A/S, Asnæs Re-elected board member: Arne Dan Kjærulff, reparatør, Nilfisk-Advance A/S, Brøndby His alternate member: Ejner Brühl Andersen, HR Supervisor, NKT Flexibles I/S, Kalundborg Re-elected board member: Jørgen Bjergskov Nielsen, elektriker, NKT Cables A/S, Asnæs His alternate member: Jan Erik Jensen, Driftsassistent, Nilfisk-Advance A/S, Brøndby The board members, who have been elected for the coming four-year period, join the Board of Directors on 25 March 2010 at the NKT Holding A/S Annual General Meeting 2010.
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March 19th, 2010
- Reports
Vienna Austria - Borealis reports solid results from ‘sensible and measured' operations.
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| Industry bellwether Borealis has reported a €38m net profit for 2009, which the company claims is the result of “a continuous focus on cost competitiveness, commercial and operational excellence”. “Given the current market conditions we’re very positive,” Borealis ceo Mark Garretts told PRW. “2010 will be better than 2009 but let’s be realistic – things are still shaky. Fortunately for us we went into the recession with a strong balance sheet, which enabled us to be proactive – we have good liquidity.” The company, which recorded a profit of €239m in 2008, remains realistic about its fortunes, added Garretts. “The recovery will be long and slow,” he explained, “but that’s not a bad thing. The last thing we want is a bubble – another boom and bust cycle, which would leave many countries unable to offer the necessary economic support. “In the past we’ve been criticized for not making the big acquisitions but we’re a prudent company and that brings results. We’ve been measured and sensible and that has served us well.”
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March 18th, 2010
- General
Duesseldorf Germany - Duesseldor Germany March 18 Industry looks to wire 2010 full of expectations|
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| Just under four weeks to go until doors open. wire 2010 and Tube 2010, the two No.1 trade fairs for the wire, cable and tube processing industries will be presenting forward-looking technologies, current techniques and latest services in the exhibition halls on the Rhine from 12 to 16 April. For the twelfth time now the International Wire and Cable Trade Fair (wire) and the International Tube and Pipe Trade Fair (Tube) are to be held concurrently at Düsseldorf fairgrounds. The sector has moved out of the trough of 2009 and now looks to Düsseldorf expectantly. Being leaders in their respective fields, both trade fairs have succeeded in increasing their exhibitor numbers over the record year 2008!
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March 18th, 2010
- General
Paris France - Nexans to present innovative cabling solutions and umbilical cables technologies at OTC
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| Nexans, a global leader in cables and cabling solutions, is using its presence at OTC 2010 to highlight its full range of cabling solutions and its umbilical cables expertise based on innovative technologies that provide reliable solutions for complex oil and gas projects, onshore and offshore, topside and subsea. In the technical session on the morning of Wednesday May 5, Bjørn Roger Slora, Senior Specialist of Nexans in Norway will present a paper on “Qualification of Dynamic Deepwater Power Cable” introducing some new state-of-the-art technology that addresses the implications of subsea processing power distribution on field architecture. He will also be available on the Nexans booth to discuss more in detail this subject after the conference.
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March 18th, 2010
- General
Sao Paulo Brazil - Eletrobras to invest $5.1 billion in 2010
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| Brazilian state-owned power utility Eletrobras will boost investment by about two-thirds this year mainly for the some of the largest hydropower dam and electricity transmission projects in the nation, the company's chief executive said on Monday. Eletrobras, Latin America's largest power holding utility, plans to increase investment to 9 billion reais ($5.1 billion) this year from 5.4 billion reais in 2009, CEO Jose Antonio Muniz said. Investments would total around 15 billion reais for 2011-2012, excluding new projects in which the company could take part, he added. "To the 15 billion we will have to add something for new projects that could be contemplated," Muniz said at a press conference at an energy-related event in Sao Paulo.
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March 18th, 2010
- General
Khobar Saudi Arabia - Saudi steel (SABIC ) demand seen rising 8 percent
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| Demand for steel in top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is expected to rise this year by 8 percent with consumption nearing 6.4 million tonnes, Saudi Arabian Basic Industries (SABIC) 2010.SE said on Wednesday. Saudi Arabian authorities in 2008 imposed restrictions on exports of steel and scrap metal due to tight supply in the domestic market. SABIC, which controls the kingdom's biggest steel producer Hadeed, said on its website that total production capacity at local plants run at full tilt is about 7.3 million tonnes. The firm is moving ahead with plans to raise annual capacity of long-steel products to 4 million tonnes by mid-2012, from 3.2 million tonnes currently, it added.
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March 17th, 2010
- Product Releases
Milford, New .Hampshire - Hendrix introduces IQ insulators
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| Milford, N.H.-based Hendrix Wire & Cable, a provider of overhead and underground power distribution products, has released the IQ Insulator, a power-line sensor for monitoring, profiling and reporting events on overhead power distribution lines. IQ Insulators are wireless and programmable sensors that allow for quick and accurate monitoring of system performance and reliability, according to the company. Embedded systems provide flexibility to calculate and store root mean square values, enable advanced algorithms and adapt to user-defined parameters for circuits up to 35 kV. License-free wireless communications allow for remote configuration and data acquisition at a range of up to 150 feet.
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March 17th, 2010
- General
Washington D.C. - U.S. Internet speed lags behind now on the fast track to correct
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| To keep pace with the rest of the world, The United States has to think fast. The United States ranks 18th in Internet speeds among industrialized nations, according to CNN, with South Korea and Japan leading the race. South Korea has an average data transfer speed of 14.6 megabits per second and the U.S., a paltry 3.9. These figures might change in the future, and at first glance, it seems for the better. The Federal Communications Commission revealed some details of its broadband plan Monday, according to CNN. It intends to use educational programs and an expansion of infrastructure to give 90 percent of Americans access to high-speed Internet at home by 2020, compared to 65 percent currently. The FCC’s definition of high-speed is greater than 768 kilobits per second.
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March 17th, 2010
- Market Stats
Bombay India - Indian steel market for both long and flat products has surge but wire rod lags
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| Indian steel market for both long and flat products has surged by more than 8% since March beginning, when steel majors declared their new prices for March deliveries citing additional burden of increased excise duty. For a variety of reasons, steel buyers have rushed to the market to secure large volumes last week resulting in a mad scramble to take deliveries from steel mills and their warehouses, which are mostly reported to have very small inventories and are facing stock out situation for many sizes and specifications. Both China and Black Sea steel mills, the most important price deciders in the global game, have increased their export offers pushing the global levels. Billet prices FOB Black Sea have crossed USD 500 per tonne level although the finished long products like rebar and wire rod etc have not caught up as much due to weak demand.
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March 17th, 2010
- General
Johannesburg South Africa - UK rope maker hails ruling on SA dumping duty
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| BRIDON International yesterday welcomed Tuesday's judgment by the Constitutional Court that terminated antidumping duties that had been imposed on its products, and said the decision would open the South African market for steel-wire ropes to increased competition. Bridon, said the court's decision confirmed that antidumping duties lapsed on the expiry of the statutorily determined period of five years plus 18 months. The court ruled in favor of the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) against metals company Scaw SA's challenge to the government's plan to lift antidumping duties on stranded wires, rope and cable, which Scaw manufactures. The court overturned the 2008 decision of the high court in Pretoria, that prevented Itac and the ministers of trade and industry and finance from enacting Itac's recommendation to lift the anti-dumping duties on sales of Bridon's products in the Southern African Customs Union.
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March 16th, 2010
- Projects
Vienna Austria - Siemens VAI Metals Technologies lands Chinese wire rod mill order.
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| Siemens VAI Metals Technologies has received an order from the Chinese company Handan Iron & Steel Co to supply mechanical equipment for a bar mill and a mill train for the wire rod mill. The project is scheduled to be completed by late 2010. Handan ordered a rod outlet for the wire rod mill from Siemens at the end of 2009. The scope of supply also includes parts of the cooling system, pinch rolls, a convertible dividing shear a fixed cold shear with a cutting force of 1,200 tonnes, guides and equipment for the oil air lubrication system as well as spare parts including 15 rolling stands. The wire rod mill will have a roughing and an intermediate mill, each with six RedRing stands, and a four-stand pre-finishing mill, including guides and oil-air lubrication systems. These plant components will complement the rod outlet that Handan Iron & Steel had previously ordered from Siemens. When complete, the wire rod mill will be able to process about 700,000 tonnes a year of standard carbon and alloy steels as well as bearing and spring steels.
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March 16th, 2010
- General
Essen Germany - Ferrostaal sells first cable recycling plant in the United Arab Emirates
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| Ferrostaal AG is expanding its activities in the field of recycling and environmental technology and is taking advantage of its presence in more than 60 countries to do so. The sale and financing of a cable recycling plant to Gulf Star Metals in Ajman will see the first machines from this sector installed in the United Arab Emirates.
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March 16th, 2010
- Market Stats
Vienna Austria - “China’s role in worldwide wire and cable markets. “
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| ICF news letter this month gives a good overview of China’s remarkable 10 Year Transition. In 1998, China exported US$ 0.9 billion of wire and cable products. In 2007 – less than ten years later – these exports passed US$ 10 billion and kept rising to US$11.9 billion in 2008. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the rise from 1998 to 2008 is 28%, which compares with a 9 % CAGR for the corresponding ten-year increase in worldwide consumption of wire and cable products. These data are based on international trade statistics in the harmonized code “8544” product category, which includes all insulated wire and cable, along with, insulated conductors fitted with connectors, harnesses, and other cable assemblies. For complete news letter use this link
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March 16th, 2010
- General
Nairobi Kenya - Kenya to tap power from its neighbors after grid connection
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| Kenya’s unstable power grid will soon receive a major boost from a planned power line interconnection with Tanzania and Zambia. The three countries have agreed to link their grids allowing those with deficits, like Kenya, to tap from those with excess energy. “We met early this month and agreed to build the Zambia-Tanzania- Kenya interconnector,” said Anastas Mbawala, director for Tanzania’s Energy Regulatory Authority. The decision comes shortly after President Kibaki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi signed a bilateral pact which will see the two countries merge their power grids.
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March 16th, 2010
- General
Cleveland Ohio - Lincoln Electric’s New Pipeliner ® 80Ni1 MIG Wire
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Lincoln Electric has introduced new Pipeliner ® 80Ni1 MIG (GMAW) wire to its line of Pipeliner ® consumables developed to meet the rigorous demands of the global pipe welding industry. It is designed for semi-automatic or automatic welding of root, hot, fill and cap passes on up to X80 grade pipe and root passes on up to X100 grade pipe. Pipeliner ® 80Ni1 is capable of producing impact properties of 69 – 95 J (51 – 70 ft•lbf) at -50°C (-58°F) to meet the demands of tough pipeline jobs. This new wire increases productivity with enhanced arc characteristics and provides optimal wire placement for narrow groove joint configurations.
All Pipeliner ® products feature ProTech ® foil bag packaging to ensure reliable performance and are manufactured to lot control standards and tested per AWS A5.01, Class S4 Schedule H. Actual certificates of test available at www.lincolnelectric.com.
For more information, visit www.lincolnelectric.com to obtain Bulletin C1.100.4.
The Lincoln Electric Company, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc-welding systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment and has a leading global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market.
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March 15th, 2010
- General
Sarajevo Bosnia - Bosnia aluminum producers seek government aid to survive
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| Bosnia's aluminium producers and processors, the country's top exporters, warned on Wednesday that many of them will not be able to survive unless the government helps them get access to more and cheaper funds soon. "The water has risen to our neck and some of us will drown if the government fails to help us," said Predrag Covic, general manager of the Kapis cable plant and head of the aluminium industry association, which groups 12 Bosnian companies. The base metal sector is key in the small Balkan country, impoverished after the 1992-95 war, but the global economic downturn last year has triggered a 25 percent fall in output and halved its exports. The metal sector accounts for about half of the country's overall exports.
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March 15th, 2010
- General
Carthage Missouri - Leggett & Platt Chief Operating Officer named to Board of Directors of the National Association of Manufacturers
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| Leggett & Platt announced that Karl Glassman, its Chief Operating Officer, has been named to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Mr. Glassman's nomination was approved by the NAM board on March 5, 2010. Glassman joins over 200 industry leaders on the NAM board, including executives from Leggett & Platt peer companies such as Emerson, General Electric, Illinois Tool Works, HARSCO Corporation, and others.
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March 15th, 2010
- General
Santiago Chile - State Grid of China and Quadra Mining to develop Chile copper mines
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| According to a statement issued State-owned public utility, The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), plans to cooperate with Canadian miner Quadra Mining Ltd and jointly develop copper mines in Chile, to secure raw material supplies for electric cables and to expand its investment portfolio with Quadra. State Grid International Development Ltd (SGID), a wholly owned subsidiary of SGCC, will form a 50-50 joint venture with Quadra to develop and operate Quadra's Sierra Gorda project, Franke Mine and other copper assets in Chile. The Sierra Gorda project and Franke Mine are valued at $900 million in assets, said the Quadra statement.
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March 15th, 2010
- Reports
Istanbul Turkey - Turkey’s Celik Halat ve Tel Sanayi posts loss in 2009
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| In 2009, Turkish steel wire and rope producer Celik Halat ve Tel Sanayii A.S. produced 36,673 metric tons of steel products, 18.76 percent lower compared to the company's 2008 output. In the given year, the producer's steel rope output totaled 6,583 metric tons, declining by 22.03 percent, its galvanized wire production amounted to 1,187 metric tons, down 19.36 percent, spring wire output regressed by 47.17 percent to 4,139 metric tons, its bead wire production decreased by 32.05 percent to 8,350 metric tons, the company's single strand rope output saw a rise of 46.92 percent to 2,912 metric tons, while its pre-stressed wire strand production totaled 13,503 metric tons, up 2.93 percent, all compared to 2008. Last year, product sales of Celik Halat ve Tel Sanayi dropped by 17.32 percent to 36,931 metric tons. Exports accounted for 26.24 percent of the total sales. The company's net sales revenue in 2009 amounted to TRY 75.9 million ($49.41 million), declining by 24.94 percent year on year, while its loss for the year totaled TRY 3.29 million ($2.14 million), compared to a profit of TRY 5.36 million in 2008. Based in Kocaeli in northwestern Turkey, Celik Halat ve Tel Sanayii has an annual production capacity of 45,000 metric tons, while its domestic market share is about 35 percent.
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March 13th, 2010
- General
Fond du Lac Wisconsin - Perth Ontario based Central Wire brings 50 jobs to former Charter wire Fond du Lac plant
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 As many as 50 new jobs could be created in Fond du Lac as the result of a wire manufacturer's plans to set up operations in a vacant steel plant. ATheCanadian-based company will receive $163,000 in tax credits to buy, equip and begin using a shuttered facility in Fond du Lac - a $3.3 million project expected to create 29 jobs, Gov. Jim Doyle's office announced Wednesday. The tax credits will go to Central Wire Industries Ltd., which manufactures stainless steel wire, nickel-alloy wire and related products used in various markets, such as the auto and aerospace industries.
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March 13th, 2010
- General
Beijing China - Baosteel raises April wire rod prices by 150-300 yuan/t
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| Xinhua reported that China's top steel producer Baoshan Iron & Steel Co (Baosteel; 600019.SH) has taken the lead to raise manufacturer prices of steel wires for April as steel product market has shown signs of recovery. The prices of the company's most steel wire products went up 150 to 300 yuan/metric ton (tonne). However, Baosteel hasn't yet released its steel plate prices for next month. Industry insiders say that Baosteel's price rise is mainly attributed to cost pressure as well as booming demand from downstream industries Currently, Baosteel's automobile sheet and appliance board products are in short supply on the market. The company has started to restrict production of some silicon steel products in an effort to expand auto sheet production. Steel prices have kept on rising since the beginning of March,, showing a strong trend of market warming.
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March 13th, 2010
- General
Highbridge Somerset - Wire rope firm bucks the trend
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| UK wire rope specialist Techni-Cable Ltd is celebrating the start of the new decade after recording growth in its business. Managing director Trevor Heyworth established Techni-Cable as a one-man operation in 2005, with marketing manager, Alex Keen, joining in 2007. At the start of 2009, Techni-Cable moved to bigger premises and recruited six new members of staff to become an eight-man operation. Techni-Cable’s products include stainless steel wire rope, stainless steel cable, wire rope fittings and stainless cable components, as well as small diameter stainless and galvanised cable, PVC, nylon and plastic covered wire ropes and assemblies, catenary wire, stainless cable railing balustrading, gym cables and cable grips.
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March 13th, 2010
- General
Manila Philippines - Steel price hikes loom
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| Higher prices of steel construction materials loom as global steel prices hit record highs due to higher input costs, an industry source yesterday said. Our source warned that the price hikes would cover reinforcing bars, galvanized iron sheets (GI) and other steel-based materials as the country enters the peak season for construction. Based on the monitoring of the Department of Trade and Industry for the week March 1 to 5, the prices of construction materials were: steel wire 1.65 mm (gauge 16), up from P65 to P80, and 1.25 mm (gauge 18), from P70 to P100; corrugated GI sheets (gauge 26), up P1 from a week ago to P51 and; steel bars, P119 to P121 for 10 mm and P168 to P176 for 12 mm.
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March 12th, 2010
- General
Tokyo Japan - Japan studying monthly Asian deals for wire rod exports
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| Japan's integrated steelmakers are studying whether to seek monthly deals of their wire rod exports to the rest of Asia for April to June 2010 shipments, a break with their normal practice of negotiating quarterly supply contracts. Also, they have an idea of requesting various customers to accept a shorter lead time of one month than the present two months. It is about time for the Japanese steelmakers to start negotiations on their wire rod exports to Asian destinations for April to June 2010 shipments. But they still find themselves in a wait and see position due to uncertain prospects of contract renewal negotiations on their imports of iron ore and coking coal for fiscal 2010.
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March 12th, 2010
- General
Wellington New Zeeland - Growing demand, high scrap costs see Pacific Steel raise prices
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| Farmers and construction companies will face higher costs after the country's only producer of reinforcing steel and wire puts up its prices next Monday. Pacific Steel Group is raising the price of its reinforcing steel bar and wire rod products by 7 per cent to 9 per cent, due to the rising cost of steel scrap and a weaker kiwi dollar. Pacific Steel, a division of Fletcher Building, supplies largely to the building trade and fencing wire distributors. The company is the country's largest recycler of steel and all its products are made from locally-sourced scrap. But it must still compete with overseas buyers who use the international price for steel. Pacific's general manager Ian Jones said the price was being affected by several factors, including continued demand in China, improved demand in the United States, and rising iron ore prices. The move partially reversed a fall in prices for steel bar and wire rod products last year when commodity prices fell. Wellington-based Steel & Tube said it would be affected by the price hike because it bought and distributed Pacific Steel products. Steel & Tube's chief executive, Dave Taylor, predicted steel prices would trend upwards over the next year and he expected other steel providers would follow suit as the global industry struggled to realign supply with demand.
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March 12th, 2010
- General
Kuala Lumpur - Southern Cable to host Malaysian executive dinner
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| Southern Cable, Malaysia's leading telecommunication and power cable manufacturer is to host a dinner event for executives and senior management of customers and business partners, designed to build a rapport relationship and to create more business opportunity. Malaysia's leading wire and cable manufacturer for the electrical power and telecommunication industry, Southern Cable has announced to host a dinner event for executive and senior management, in a bid to foster and improve relationships between Southern Cable and its industry partners. Scheduled for tomorrow 13 March 2010, the event is to be held at the glamorous Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and will host over 400 guests from senior management and executive positions. With invites to executives from Penang to Johor, from Sarawak to Sabah, the event is being run in conjunction with experienced corporate events organizer RSVP.com.my.
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March 12th, 2010
- Personnel
Abu Dhabi, UAE - Ducab HV announces CEO appointment
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| Ducab,one of the leading manufacturers of high quality power cables in the Middle East—has announced at WETEX 2010 the appointment of Jon Vail as the CEO of a new company Ducab HV Cable Systems. This comes exactly one year after announcing the formation of the joint venture company in which Ducab has a 50% share with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) each holding an additional 25%. The new company will sell cable systems in the voltage range of 66kV to 400kV, covering the highest voltage currently used in the GCC and operating as the first dedicated high-voltage facility in the region. Once fully operational, the company plans on selling over Dhs1bn of cable and associated services annually, approximately 60% of which will be consumed in the UAE.
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