EoW September 2009

corporate news

Tata Steel raises HR and CR prices

negotiating. JFE also agreed with BHP to cut iron ore lump prices by 44.47%. BHP declined to comment, saying it will only release information on its iron ore settlements when the bulk of agreements were reached. Steelmakers in Japan and South Korea are concluding their annual pricing talks by agreeing to a 33% cut with Rio Tinto and 28% with Brazil’s Vale. BHP Billiton – Australia Website : www.bhpbilliton.com China Steel Corp, Taiwan’s largest steel maker, will increase domestic prices for the first time this year as demand improves. Prices will rise by an average of 7% in July, the Kaohsiung-based company said. The mill last increased prices for Taiwan customers in the fourth quarter last year. Spending on public works and other infrastructure projects by nations including China, Taiwan’s biggest overseas market, is lifting steel demand. The global recession had curbed consumption of the metal by builders and carmakers. “We’re less pessimistic now,” executive vice president Chung Le-min said. ...but in Taiwan

India’s Tata Steel, the world’s sixth-largest steelmaker, hiked prices for hot-rolled and cold-rolled coils by up to 2% across some regions in the country. Prices have been raised by Rs 500 to 750 per ton, based on market conditions, said the company’s spokesperson. Hot-rolled and cold-rolled coils are mainly used in automobiles and con- sumer durables such as refrigerators and washing machines. The company has seen strong demand from its Indian operations, which account for about a quarter of the group’s annual global capacity of 30 million tons. Its Indian operations posted a 31% rise in sales in April, and 18% in May. Tata Steel – India Website : www.tatasteel.com

Price cuts elsewhere

Japan’s steelmaker JFE has agreed with Australia’s BHP Billiton to cut fine iron ore prices by 33% matching a benchmark deal already reached by miner Rio Tinto and non-Chinese Asian customers. BHP signed the deal with the world’s number three steelmaker but other Asian steelmakers including Nippon, South Korea’s Posco and Chinese firms are still

China Steel Corp – China Website : www.csc.com.tw

Winter spools on show AstroPlast Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co KG attended wire Moscow in May, placing the emphasis on the company’s plastic spools for wires, cables, tapes or optical fibres. Many visitors showed particular interest in the SC-ABS winter spools, suitable for low temperatures with special chemical stability even for the most extreme production conditions.

Managing director Dr Wolfgang Kemper commented: “The global recession naturally meant that the atmosphere was not particularly elated, but the response at our booth was definitely satisfactory. And wire Moscow even succeeded our expectations. “Together with our representatives on the Russian market, we were able to establish a large number of new contacts and open up possibilities for business after the trade fair.“

The AstroPlast stand at wire Russia ▲ ▲

AstroPlast Kunststofftechnik GmbH – Germany Fax : +49 2933 84010

Email : c.groll@astroplast.de Website : www.astroplast.de

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EuroWire – September 2009