TPT July 2015

Global Marketplace

imports of the steel. The tariffs, of between 21.6 per cent and 35.9 per cent, are a response to the complaint lodged in June 2014 by the European steel producers association Eurofer. The five countries whose products would be penalised are Japan, Russia, China, the US and Korea. The duties, put in place following the European Commission presentation of its proposal to EU member states in late April, are provisional through November. If confirmed, they would remain in effect for five years. Steel analyst Seth Rosenfeld, of the global investment banking firm Jefferies, told Reuters (28 April) that GOES imports represented only about 1.5 per cent of all EU steel imports in 2014. He noted, however, that on the back of its announcement in March of new stainless anti-dumping duties, “further protectionist policies by the European Commission may begin to portray a more proactive policy response than seen historically.” Automotive A heads-up for Detroit: prospective buyers of cars prioritise collision avoidance over infotainment touch screens “People want their cars to be cars.” The comment by Brian Radloff, the director of automotive accounts for Nuance,

a company that creates voice-recognition software, was prompted by the somewhat surprising results of a JD Power survey of US drivers conducted between January and March. The auto marketing information firm’s 2015 Tech Choice Study reached 5,300 consumers who either bought or leased a new vehicle over the previous five years. As summarised by Greg Gardner of the Detroit Free Press (22 April), the technologies most preferred by the Power respondents were: • Blind-spot detection (preferred by 40 per cent) • Night vision (33 per cent) • Enhanced collision mitigation (30 per cent) The least favourite technologies were: • Systems that monitor health and wellness (only 9 per cent considered these a priority) • Hand-gesture controls (8 per cent) • Biometric driver sensors (8 per cent) • Touch screens that provide tactile feedback (8 per cent) Mr Gardner pointed out the study’s other notable finding: that young consumers – whether or not they can afford the extra expense – expressed themselves willing to spend more on in-vehicle technology than older drivers. Millennials (born circa 1982) queried by Power are receptive to spending an average $3,703 on optional technology in • Rear-view cameras (30 per cent) • Self-healing paint (25 per cent)

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