EuroWire July 2017

Transatlantic cable

Elsewhere in steel . . . † In April, President Donald Trump instructed the US Department of Commerce to commence an investigation into imports of steel on grounds of concern for national security. Although Chinese steel makers have a quarter of the USA steel market – about 30 million metric tons (mt) a year – USA authorities denied that the initiative, which could see huge tari s placed on imports of foreign steel, targets any single nation. If the investigation should lead to across-the-board tari s on steel imports, Britain’s steel makers fear they could be dealt a heavy blow. Industry editor Alan Tovey of the Telegraph reported that the trade association UK Steel has appealed to Liam Fox, the secretary of state for international trade, to contact his opposite number in the USA requesting assurance. (“UK Steel Makers Lobby Not to Be Cut Out of Vital American Market,” 13 th May) The USA is a leading market for British steel, taking 250,000 metric tons of the 7.6 million mt produced annually in the UK. These exports to the USA account for $442 million in sales each year. † According to an article in Numismatic News Express (6 th May), since 2006 it has cost more than their face values to produce the USA one-cent and nickel coins, and the US Mint has been looking into cheaper alternative compositions. Dorothy Fabian – USA Editor

football.” (“A Giant Stainless Steel Falcon Is Rising Up in Front of Mercedes-Benz Stadium,” 7 th May). The sculpture was designed and assembled by Hungarian artist Gabor Miklos Szoke, who makes a speciality of monumental steel animals and crafted the bird at his studio in Budapest. Mr Reisigl reported that the 1,000 laser-cut pieces travelled more than 5,000 miles by container ship to Savannah, then went by truck to Atlanta. Special packaging was required to prevent humidity and salt air from rusting the steel, both in transit and in the subtropical climate of Georgia. After the arrival of the components, in March, the sculpture was assembled via crane. Because it weighs a whopping 36.5 tons – the wings weigh 3.5 tons each – placement was an important consideration. To prevent collapse under its own weight, the structure and its platform are precisely positioned over a buried load-bearing vertical column. † According to Atlanta magazine, the falcon project originated two years ago with Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, whose artistic vision for the new stadium went beyond the customary sports photos and paintings. But it seems possible that a certain spirit of rivalry may also have stirred in Mr Blank. Among the gures studied by his art committee were the bronze panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, headquarters of the Carolina Panthers of the NFL; and the nine heroic-sized tiger statues at Comerica Park (home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team), including the two prowling the scoreboard in left eld. The beasts’ eyes light up after a victory by the home team, to sound e ects of growling tigers.

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July 2017