Eurobench.com

voda 26 februari 2019 17:05

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Lithuanian Railways to purchase rails from Voestalpine

Baltic Times reported that Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai is planning to purchase EUR 36.5 million worth of rails for track repairs this year and next year, with the first EUR 11.5 million contract already signed with Latvia's rail supplier Sigmen. Preliminary contracts with the winning bidders, Sigmen and Voestalpine VAE Legetecha, a joint venture of Voestalpine and LG that manufactures railroad switches, were signed last December, according to information on Lithuania's central public procurement website.

The state railway operator plans to replace worn rails on various railway sections, he added.

The duration of the contracts is two years, with an option to extend them for another two years.

Sigmen has been supplying rails to LG since 2016. The Latvian company was awarded contracts worth EUR 2.1 million euros in 2016, EUR 2.7 million euros in 2017 and EUR 7.3 million in 2018.

Source : Baltic Times

voda 27 februari 2019 16:16

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Salzgitter boekt hogere winst

FONDS KOERS VERSCHIL VERSCHIL % BEURS
Salzgitter AG
26,83 0,62 2,37 % Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse (Xetra)

(ABM FN-Dow Jones) Salzgitter heeft in 2018 een hogere winst geboekt, ondanks moeilijke marktomstandigheden. Dit bleek woensdag uit de cijfers van het Duitse staalbedrijf.

CEO Heinz Joerg Fuhrmann zei dat de hogere winst te danken was aan interne operationele verbeteringen, wat de winstgevendheid ondersteunde, ondanks de handelsspanningen en de hoge import van staal naar Europa.

De Duitse staalproducent boekte een winst van 277,7 miljoen euro, in vergelijking met 193,6 miljoen euro een jaar eerder. De omzet steeg tot 9,3 miljard euro, van 9,0 miljard euro een jaar eerder.

Outlook

Voor 2019 voorziet Salzgitter een omzet van meer dan 9,5 miljard euro en een winst voor belasting variërend van 125 tot 175 miljoen euro.

Door: ABM Financial News.
info@abmfn.nl
Redactie: +31(0)20 26 28 999

© Copyright ABM Financial News B.V. All rights reserved.

voda 27 februari 2019 21:09

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AISI update on Raw Steel Production in US in Week 08

In the week ending on February 23, 2019, domestic raw steel production was 1,907,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 81.9%. Production was 1,817,000 net tons in the week ending February 23, 2018 while the capability utilization then was 77.9%. The current week production represents a 5.0% increase from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending February 23, 2019 is up 1.1% from the previous week ending February 16, 2019 when production was 1,886,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 81.0%.

Adjusted year-to-date production through February 23, 2019 was 14,644,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 80.9%. That is up 8.0% from the 13,564,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 75.7%.

Broken down by districts, here's production for the week ending February 23, 2019 in thousands of net tons: North East: 211; Great Lakes: 682; Midwest: 205; Southern: 736 and Western: 73 for a total of 1907.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 16:15

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Beursblik: Aperam krijgt koopadvies van KBC

FONDS KOERS VERSCHIL VERSCHIL % BEURS
Aperam
28,55 -0,45 -1,55 % Euronext Amsterdam

(ABM FN-Dow Jones) Aperam krijgt van KBC Asset Management een koopadvies, nadat het koersdoel werd verhoogd van 29,00 naar 36,00 euro. Dat meldde KBC donderdag.

De producent van roestvast staal heeft een ijzersterke balans, en denkt ook aan de aandeelhouder, stelt KBC: na het mislukken van de overname van VDM besloot Aperam de contanten maar terug te geven aan de aandeelhouders.

KBC ziet nog drie redenen voor een hogere koers van het aandeel: een aantrekkende nikkelprijs en een stabiliserende chroomprijs. Dit hangt samen met de Chinese speler Tsingshan, die vorig jaar de markt overspoelde met nikkel en goedkoop roestvast staal, maar deze golf van nieuw aanbod lijkt te zijn gekalmeerd.

Ook stijgt de vraag naar roestvast staal omdat de Braziliaanse economie herstelt.
Aangepaste beschermingsmaatregelen van de EU, die in februari definitief werden. schermen de Europese markt voor roestvast staal bovendien beter af.

KBC verwacht dat de positieve factoren, met name de beschermingsmaatregelen van de EU, vanaf het tweede kwartaal tot betere resultaten zullen leiden.

Op 5,6 keer het EBITDA-resultaat in 2019 is het aandeel nu al zeker niet duur, volgens KBC. Het aandeel Aperam stond donderdag 2 procent lager op 28,48 euro.

Door: ABM Financial News.
info@abmfn.nl
Redactie: +31(0)20 26 28 999

© Copyright ABM Financial News B.V. All rights reserved.

voda 28 februari 2019 19:41

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ArcelorMittal may fail to implement its strategy with respect to llva

ArcelorMittal in its annual report said that the company may encounter difficulties in integrating llva or in implementing its strategy with respect to llva. In particular, ArcelorMittal is implementing a major improvements project involving substantial capital expenditures designed to bring llva up to and beyond EU environmental standards, to improve the operational performance of llva’s assets, to rebuild client confidence and to integrate Ilva’s personnel and apply the Company’s best practices and expertise.

It said “There is no guarantee that the Company will be successful in implementing its strategy or in realizing the expected benefits of the acquisition in full or at all.”

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 19:42

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China's steelmakers hit the skids as car sales slow

Reuters reported that China’s steel mills may have taken a wrong turn by adding millions of tonnes of new high-end capacity just as the country’s car sector, a key steel consumer, undergoes its first contraction in decades, cutting metal demand. Hot-rolled coil steel was a steady profit driver for mills but orders are now slowing down. Sliding demand for hot-rolled coil is a further barometer of China’s lagging industrial sector which is struggling with lower profits amid a trade war with the United States. Weakening steel end-user demand will add to the government’s concerns about job layoffs as Chinese economic growth was at its slowest in 28 years in 2018. A manager at a medium-sized steel mill in Hebei, China’s biggest steelmaking province, said that “We may have to lay off 10% of our workers this year.”

The slowdown, occurring as overall steel profit margins have dropped 60 percent in the past three months, threatens to push China’s entire embattled steel sector further into debt, forcing mills to cut costs and leaving them unable to upgrade products and processes. Profit margins for HRC shot to more than CNY 1,100n (USD 164.37) per tonne in 2018 as benchmark futures prices pushed beyond CNY 4,000 a tonne to record highs. That prompted mills to expand their capacity even further, and 20 million tonnes per year of new HRC lines are set to start up this year. But that expansion now looks out of synch with China’s sputtering economic engine. Annual automobile sales in China for 2018 contracted for the first time in more than 20 years. The sector uses almost 30 percent of the country’s hot-rolled coil and products derived from it.

Mr Li Xinchuang, president of the China Metallurgical Industry Planning and Research Institute, a government think-tank said that “The hot-rolled coil market will see oversupply this year. On the one hand mills are expanding their output, meanwhile demand for HRC is weakening. Lots of manufacturing plants who actually use HRC have moved outside China.”

Mr Kevin Bai, an analyst at CRU in Beijing said that with the additional hot-rolled coil capacity, higher raw material costs and flat demand, profit margins for the HRC sector as a percentage of earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation (EBITDA) are set to slump to 6 percent this year, down from an EBITDA margin of 15 percent in 2018.

Source : Reuters

voda 28 februari 2019 19:45

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Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa selects Primetals Technologies for plate mill upgrades

Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc has selected Primetals Technologies to upgrade its plate mill in Alabama, USA. The upgrade includes a new downcoiler of the Power Coiler type with four wrapper roll design, which will enable this facility to produce heavier line pipe gauges for the energy industry. The project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2020. The downcoiler is capable of handling 1.25-inch-thick low-carbon-grade steel and 1-inch-thick line pipe grades, at up to 102 inches wide. The scope of supply also includes runout tables, new coil handling area, inspection line with shear, hydraulics, banders, markers and an upgrade to the Level 1 automation system.

Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa, Inc. is one of three plate mills operated by Nucor Corporation, which produce plate for manufacturers of barges, bridges, heavy equipment, tanks, ships, wind towers and other items. Nucor’s production capabilities and the mix of plate products marketed, the capacity of the plate mills is estimated at approximately 2,825,000 tons per year. Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the US and Canada. Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel – in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; steel grating; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company, also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and HBI/DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 19:49

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NCLT rejects RIL plea to be heard as operational creditor

FE reported that The Ahmedabad bench of the National Company Law Tribunal on Tuesday turned down Reliance Industries’ application to be heard as an operational creditor.

RIL had joined the other operational creditors in the Essar Steel Insolvency case and knocked the doors of NCLT Ahmedabad and claimed INR 16.41 crore believed to be accrued out of fuel and other services provided to Essar Steel’s Hazira plant near Surat in south Gujarat. RIL opposed ArcelorMittal India’s INR 42,000 crore resolution plan for Essar Steel in NCLT. In its application, RIL had made the resolution professional for Essar Steel and State Bank of India, the lead banker of ESL’s Committee of Creditors as respondents.
In its application, RIL had made the resolution professional (RP) for Essar Steel and State Bank of India, the lead banker of ESL’s Committee of Creditors as respondents.

As per the Supreme Court order, only one operational creditor to be heard in the case and hence RIL plea cannot be considered as its claim is less than 10% said NCLT adding that RIL is not eligible to oppose resolution professional.

Responding to the application, RP’s counsel told the NCLT that claims by operational creditors, including RIL’s, worth over Rs 1 crore will only get up to INR 99 lakh under the plan. Scores of operational creditors, including the Gujarat government’s distribution company Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company and Gujarat Energy Transmission have filed petitions seeking dues worth crores of rupees.

Source : Financial Express

voda 28 februari 2019 19:49

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Salzgitter Group delivers the best result for the last ten years

The Salzgitter Group closed the financial year 2018 with the highest pre-tax profit for a decade. Along with the performance of the Strip Steel Business Unit and presentable contributions from the Trading and Technology business units, above all profit improvement potential amounting to around EUR 150 million, realized for the first time from internal programs of measures, contributed to this result. The financial basis and balance sheet of the Group remain sound with an equity ratio of 38.1 % and a net financial position of EUR 191.6 million. The Group’s external sales rose in the financial year 2018 mainly on the back of selling prices to EUR 9,278.2 million (2017: EUR 8,990.2 million). Earnings before taxes result increased to EUR 347.3 million, exceeding the year-earlier result (2017: EUR 238.0 million). The result comprises EUR –62.8 million on balance in burdens from special items (2017: EUR –82.9 million) and a contribution of EUR 44.0 million from the investment in Aurubis AG, a company included at equity (2017: UR 79.3 million, including effects from the convertible bond). An after-tax result that stood at EUR 277.7 million (2017: EUR 193.6 million)

Chief Executive Officer Prof Dr Ing Heinz Jörg Fuhrmann said “In 2018, key political powers have unwarrantedly called into question free trade maxims that have been in place for decades. In our industry, this has resulted in the feared redirection of trade flows and consequently to a new record for steel imports into Europe. Against this back-drop, we can be just that little bit proud of how our Group developed in the past financial year: Earnings before taxes of € 347.3 million represent the best result for the last ten years. It’s not often that you encounter something like this, especially as the sources of strength largely derive from our own endeavors, and not from more favorable market conditions. The profit improvement potential of around € 150 million realized from programs implemented since 2013 are proof that we focus on rigorously taking the Group forward, also in years when the economy is good. Given the likelihood of challenges increasing in the current year, it will be about resolutely continuing to chart this course.”

The external sales of the Strip Steel Business Unit rose to EUR 2,341.0 million, above all on the back of selling prices (2017: EUR 2,159.8 million). Shipments also increased. With earnings before taxes of EUR 205.8 million, the business unit reported notable growth thanks above all to better revenue quality (2017: EUR 182.0 million). In addition, the programs of measures had a positive impact, with a countereffect emanating from the higher cost of raw materials and energy.

In a market environment characterized by the sustained high level of heavy plate imports, the shipments of the Plate / Section Steel Business Unit reached the year-earlier level. The section steel segment was almost able to compensate for the downturn in volume in the heavy plate business. At EUR 1,026.4 million, external sales matched the previous year’s figure (2017: EUR 1,024.3 million). The business unit generated EUR 24.8 million in earnings before taxes, achieving a much higher result compared with the previous year (2017: EUR –57.7 million) that was impacted by impairment at Salzgitter Mannesmann Grobblech GmbH.

Against the background of a slight decline in shipment volumes, the Mannesmann Business Unit achieved stable external sales due to selling prices (EUR 1,118.6 million; 2017: EUR 1,093.5 million). The business unit reported a pre-tax result at the level of the previous year (EUR –5.4 million; 2017: EUR –5.6 million), which included special items of EUR –24.0 million on balance (2017: EUR –21.0 million in expenses for measures to achieve structural improvements).

The shipments of the Trading Business Unit fell somewhat short of the 2017 figure due to the lower volume of project business and the lack of large-scale contracts in international trading. The business unit’s external sales settled at the year-earlier level due to higher selling prices (EUR 3,267.7 million; 2017: EUR 3,229.9 million). At EUR 50.5 million, the Trading Business Unit again generated respectable earnings before taxes (2017: EUR 70.5 million).

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 19:50

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Changes in the composition of the boards of ArcelorMittal Poland

The Supervisory Board has approved changes in the composition of the Management Board of ArcelorMittal Poland. Previously, changes were made to the Council itself. After taking up the post of HR and information systems manager at ArcelorMittal Europe, Sanjay Samaddar has resigned from the position of the President of the Management Board of ArcelorMittal Poland. However, he will continue to support the meeting as he took over the position of the chairman of the ArcelorMittal Poland Supervisory Board.

Geert Verbeeck, until recently the general director and vice-president of the Management Board, has been appointed the President of the Management Board of ArcelorMittal Poland, and Czeslaw Sikorski - Vice-President of the Management Board. In addition, the Managing Board was composed of managing directors responsible for three production areas - raw materials, flat products and long products.

The new composition of the ArcelorMittal Poland Management Board
1. Geert Verbeeck, President of the Management Board and CEO
2. Czeslaw Sikorski, Vice President of the Management Board
3. Tomasz Dziwniel, a member of the Board
4. Bogdan Mikotajczyk, member of the Management Board
5. Herve Mouille, member of the Board
6. Adam Preiss, member of the Management Board

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 19:51

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Tata Steel among World’s Most Ethical Companies

Tata Steel has been recognised as one of the 2019 World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. The Company has received the coveted recognition for the eighth time in the ‘Metals, Minerals and Mining’ category and continues to be the driving force for improving communities, building capable and empowered workforces, and fostering corporate cultures focused on ethics and a strong sense of purpose.

Tata Steel has been recognised by the Ethisphere Institute, USA seven times earlier and is one of the only two honourees in the ‘Metals, Minerals and Mining’ industry.

In 2019, 128 honourees, spanning 21 countries and 50 industries, have been recognised. The thirteenth class of honorees profoundly illustrate how companies continue to be the driving force for improving communities, building capable and empowered workforces, and fostering corporate cultures focused on ethics and a strong sense of purpose.

The World's Most Ethical Companies assessment is based upon the Ethisphere Institute’s Ethics Quotient® (EQ) framework, which offers a quantitative way to assess a company’s performance in an objective, consistent and standardized manner. The information collected provides a comprehensive sampling of definitive criteria of core competencies rather than all aspects of corporate governance, risk, sustainability, compliance and ethics.

Scores are generated in five key categories: ethics and compliance program (35 percent), culture of ethics (20 percent), corporate citizenship and responsibility (20 percent), governance (15 percent) and leadership and reputation (10 percent). All companies that participate in the assessment process receive their scores, providing them with valuable insights into how they stack up against leading organizations.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 19:59

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Fives to design OTO tube mills for SSAB Europe

SSAB Europe has contracted Fives, a French global engineering group, to handle design, production and supply of two complete OTO tube mill lines. Fives will design, manufacture, supply and commission two complete OTO tube mill lines for welded tubes, ranging from 16mm up to 130mm in diameter. The mill lines will be designed to process high grade yield carbon steel to produce tubes with 8mm maximum thickness for automotive applications. The scope of supply includes fully automatic entry lines, and a forming and sizing section with quick change, tools and cut-off units.

Fives proposal featured 'innovative technical solutions and production flexibility' to meet highly customised advanced technology equipment requirements, as well as tight scheduling. OTO tube mill lines will be designed and preassembled at Fives’ plant in Boretto, Italy, and delivered to Hämeenlinna’s in 2019-2020.

SSAB Europe has been investing in the modernisation its tube production lines at its Hämeenlinna facility in Finland with a view to widening its product range and increase its premium tubular output.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 20:00

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Dongfeng Forging orders forging press from SMG Group

Dongfeng Forging Co Ltd, part of the commercial vehicle manufacturer Dongfeng Motor Group, has placed an order with SMS group for the supply of an MP 5000 eccentric forging press with a forging force of 5,000 tons for its plant in Shiyan, Hubei Province, China. Founded in Shiyan in 1969, Dongfeng Forging Co., Ltd. operates a total of 26 forging lines at this site including, among others, a 12,000-ton wedge press supplied by SMS group.

Dongfeng Forging intends to use the new forging press to manufacture light-truck crankshafts with a maximum finished part weight of 21.5 kilograms. The new eccentric press will forge parts precisely, highly efficiently, and fully automatically with a nominal forging force of 50 MN. In addition to the press, the scope of supply includes process development services, sequence-controlled loading and unloading belt conveyors, an electrically operated automatic walking beam for parts handling, and an integrated die spraying system. Also, SMS group will supply a line control system for connecting other equipment units as, for example, the heating system.

The MP 5000 is one of SMS group’s advanced series of eccentric forging presses. Extremely large press windows in the FEM-optimized press housing offer a perfect automation capability and allow for easier changes of die and die holder.

SMS group is continuously working on the optimization of its plants and equipment. And this is why the MP series, too, was extensively redesigned. Numerous different improvements were made to reduce the labor and costs involved in maintenance and inspection work. This primarily includes the use of an almost maintenance-free, low-noise electrohydraulic coupling and brake. The hydraulic single ejectors in the table and ram can be individually operated for each forming station. In addition, the ram adjustment device that, in automatic mode, enables a ram adjustment of 0.1 millimeters between two strokes was improved on the drive side.

Commissioning of the new MP 5000 closed-die forging press is scheduled for the second quarter of 2020.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 20:00

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US Doc issues affirmative preliminary AD determination on imports of steel racks from China

The US Department of Commerce announced the affirmative preliminary determination in the antidumping duty investigation of imports of steel racks from China, determining that exporters have been dumping steel racks in the United States at a margins ranging from 18.08 to 144.50 percent. As a result of today’s decision, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of steel racks from China based on these preliminary rates.

The petitioner estimates that imports of steel racks in 2017 were valued at approximately USD 200 million.

The petitioner is the Coalition for Fair Rack Imports, the members of which are Bulldog Rack Company (Weirton, WV), Hannibal Industries, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA), Husky Rack and Wire (Denver, NC), Ridg-U-Rak, Inc. (North East, PA), SpaceRak (Marysville, MI), Speedrack Products Group, Ltd. (Sparta, MI), Steel King Industries, Inc. (Stevens Point, WI), Tri-Boro Shelving & Partition Corp. (Farmville, VA), and UNARCO Material Handling, Inc. (Springfield, TN).

Commerce is scheduled to announce the final determination on or about July 18, 2019.

If Commerce’s final determination is affirmative, the US International Trade Commission will be scheduled to make its final injury determination on or about September 3, 2019. If Commerce makes an affirmative final determination of dumping and the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination, Commerce will issue an AD order. If Commerce makes a negative final determination of dumping or the ITC makes a negative final determination of injury, the investigation will be terminated and no order will be issued.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 20:01

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B&W Vølund inks agreement to provide Biomass Grate Technology to Asian Markets

Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises Inc announced that its Denmark-based subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S, has signed a licensing agreement to provide its water-cooled vibrating grate technology for biomass boilers to thyssenkrupp Industries India Pvt Limited on an exclusive basis for projects in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan.

Mr Koen W. Bogers, Managing Director, B&W Vølund said that “This agreement with thyssenkrupp Industries India is an important step for B&W Vølund in accessing the growing renewable energy market in India. Our proven biomass combustion technology will help industrial and power users produce clean, renewable energy while helping reduce the environmental impact from the combustion of rice straw and other waste fuels.”

B&W Vølund’s water-cooled vibrating grate was developed for combustion of biomass and multi-fuels with little or almost no ash content. Over the past several decades, this grate has proven to be effective for its high availability, low maintenance cost, and low consumption of spare parts. It is particularly well-suited for fuels with high alkali and chlorine content, such as rice straw – a common by-product of agriculture in India and other countries in the region.

Under the terms of the 10-year licensing agreement, B&W Vølund will provide engineering and advisory services to thyssenkrupp.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 20:02

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Trump Trade War - Some US importers slab exclusion requests denied

Fast Markets reported that the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security said that some United States slab importers' requests for exclusions from Section 232 tariffs have been denied. Companies impacted by the decisions include Evraz North America, California Steel Industries and NLMK USA, according to the BIS. Specific breakdowns of denials by volume and by company were not immediately available.

But one analyst estimated that up to 4 million tons of imported slab were denied exclusions from the 25% tariffs, representing roughly 10-15% of the total requested exclusions for semi-finished slabs.

West Coast flat-rolled mill CSI, in particular, was denied exclusions on roughly 100,000 tons of slabs from Japan, while Evraz's denials could amount to 400,000 tons of slab from Russia, KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Philip Gibbs wrote in a February 26 research note.

The total state of slab exclusion requests is not known since companies filed multiple exclusion requests for different volumes and technical dimensions of slab from various countries. Each exclusion request is decided on its own merits and companies can have different requests approved or denied.

In one sample denial for an exclusion request by CSI, the BIS ruled that such slabs are made in the US in a “sufficient and reasonably available amount and of a satisfactory quality,” it said. “No overriding national security concerns require that this exclusion request be granted.”

Source : Fast Markets

voda 28 februari 2019 20:02

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Salzgitter facing triple digit plate duties in preliminary US review

Fast Markets reported that United States Commerce Department has boosted anti-dumping duties on cut-to-length plate from German steelmaker Salzgitter to triple-digits in the preliminary stage of an administrative review. Commerce set the dumping margin at 174.03% for Salzgitter, the agency said in a filing dated Thursday February 21. The company had been subject to duties of 22.9%. Commerce alleged that Salzgitter sold plate at “less than normal value” during a review period spanning from November 14, 2016, to April 30, 2018. The department did not disclose the calculations it used to arrive at a dumping margin that is more than seven times Salzgitter's prior duty rate.

Commerce said it plans to issue final results in the administrative review within 120 days.

Germany where Salzgitter is based was one of 12 nations targeted in a trade case filed in 2016 against imports of cut-to-length plate. Commerce has also set anti-dumping margins for Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Italy, Japan, South Africa, South Africa, Taiwan and Turkey.

Germany shipped only 2,826 tonnes of cut-to-length plate to the US in the first 11 months of last year, less than half the 6,504 tonnes that arrived at domestic ports from the European nation in the same 2017 period, according to Commerce data last updated in early February. Both figures are only a fraction of the 130,697 tonnes of cut-to-plate shipped to the US from Germany in 2016, the year the plate trade case was filed.

Source : Fast Markets

voda 28 februari 2019 20:03

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Major success for Hyundai’s concrete mixers made out of Hardox steel from SSAB

Two years ago, Hyundai Motor in South Korea decided to go from regular steel to SSAB’s Hardox abrasion-resistant steel when producing the concrete mixers for their special commercial vehicles. The results include mixer drums, hoppers, and chutes that are much more resistant to abrasion and corrosion than the earlier versions. Mr Byung-cheol Kang Sales Manager at Hyundai Motor, South Korea said that “The reason for choosing Hardox is its durability. Compared to other mixer trucks, these last a great deal longer. They have a very long lifespan, so the customer demand is high for mixers made out of Hardox steel.”

Used mainly in the construction industry, the mixer trucks are running in harsh conditions where they constantly transport concrete from one place to another, mixing the concrete as they move along. With the continuous wear and tear the mixers made out of regular steel have to be replaced after a few years, which means a huge amount of extra costs for the customers. With Hardox steel the mixers at least double the service life. For commercial vehicles it is crucial that they last as long as possible whilst also being efficient and productive. For Hyundai that means not only do they use the best quality material, but they of course also put a major effort into the design.

The hardest thing was shaping Hardox steel to fit the blade molds. SSAB was operational in getting this to work. Also, welding steel plates in straight lines did not work, so Hyundai made the drum in a slightly different way, using a spiral design. The switch to Hardox steel came mainly from customer demand. The market knew what it wanted and asked for it.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 20:10

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Sustainalytics raises Severstal’s ESG rating

Sustainalytics, a leading independent global provider of ESG and corporate governance research and ratings to investors, has increased Severstal’s rating from 54 to 70 points (out of a possible 100) in 2018, placing the Company in 8th position out of 42 metallurgical companies from around the world. Sustainalytics also placed "Severstal" in the “Leader” category. This is the latest in a series of ESG rating upgrades Severstal received throughout 2018 in recognition of continuous improvements to its ESG performance and disclosure.

Alexander Shevelev, CEO of Severstal, said “Severstal stands by the principles of sustainable development. We have made significant efforts not only to conform to established legislative norms, but to set new industry standards and also to contribute meaningfully to the future of the communities of which we are a part. In 2019 we will significantly increase our investment in environmental projects, with a planned budget of more than 825 million rubles. Increasingly investors are including analysis of ESG issues in their company appraisals, and transparency is one of the areas they are particularly focused on. Last year, Severstal began disclosing additional ESG information with our operating results, and in October 2018 the Board of Directors approved the Company's long-term goals for labour protection, industrial safety and environmental protection. Our improved positions in a number of both international and Russian ESG ratings is a reflection of the Company’s strong performance and continued progress in the area of ESG.”

A number of agencies revised Severstal's Sustainability ratings upwards in 2018:

RobecoSAM DJSI, an international company with a focus on investing in sustainable development, awarded Severstal 36 points in its 2018 Annual Review, up from 15 points a year earlier.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) of Russia and the UN Environment Programme (Russian Mission) both awarded Severstal with 7th place in their rankings, up from 16th and 17th places in in 2017 respectively.

In the ?orporate Transparency rating of Russia’s largest companies, RCC raised Severstal from 22nd place in 2017 to 14th in 2018, and the Company rose from 106th to 101th place in Interfax-ERA’s Environmental and Energy Efficiency rankings.

Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), the world leader in providing investors with information about companies focused on investments in sustainable development, revised Severstal's rating in three criteria: "Ecology" (from 4 to 3 points, where 1 is the best), "Social" (from 5 to 4 points, where 1 is the best), "Corporate governance" (from 4 to 1 point, where 1 is the best). Independent ratings agency Oekom Research upgraded the Company's rating from D+ (2017) to C-.

Russian Agency AK&M also awarded Severstal 7th place in its "Social efficiency of the largest Russian companies (among metallurgical/mining companies)" rating.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 28 februari 2019 20:11

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Salzgitter Outlook

The Strip Steel Business Unit expects a more muted development of business compared with the especially good previous year and anticipates stable sales and tangibly lower earnings before taxes due to margins. Import pressure on the European steel market is likely to remain high, on the one hand while, on the other, we assume that raw materials costs, especially for iron ore, will range notably above the 2018 level.

The heavy plate market continues to be characterized by particularly high import volumes from non-EU countries into the EU. In addition, the situation is aggravated by the lack of follow-up orders at the Mülheim-based company for the delivery of pipeline input material. In the sections steel segment, margins are expected to return to a normal level following a very gratifying previous year. Overall we assume sales that will be notably below the previous year’s figure and expect a pre-tax loss for the Plate / Section Steel Business Unit.

The development of the Mannesmann Business Unit will be impacted, at least in the first half of 2019, by the unsatisfactory capacity utilization of the German large-diameter pipe company belonging to the EUROPIPE Group. By contrast, the American Europipe companies will benefit from orders placed in the previous year and at the beginning of the year and, similar to Mannesmann Grossrohr GmbH, can expect further project bookings. After two very good years, the medium-diameter line pipe segment anticipates a normalization of demand. The precision tubes companies expect a generally stable situation, with the stainless steel segment seeing a moderate improvement in the market. With shipments and sales figures remaining virtually unchanged, we predict a marginally positive pre-tax result.

The Trading Business Unit anticipates an increase in shipments and therefore discernible sales growth in 2019. While achieving margins in international trading will remain under pressure due to the ongoing effects of ubiquitously restrictive trading policies, the declines predicted in margins in the stockholding steel trade should be at least partly compensated through business with additional value added. We anticipate earnings before taxes for the business unit that will once again be gratifying but nevertheless notably below the previous year.

Based on the high level of orders on hand and good order intake, the Technology Business Unit predicts a moderate increase in sales. The KHS Group will continue to operate on the basis of a selective order intake, expanding its service business and deriving additional positive effects from the measures introduced to enhance efficiency. The two specialist mechanical engineering companies of the DESMA Group anticipate that earnings will return to normal levels, with the assumption of a pre-tax profit overall that will exceed the average of previous years but will nevertheless fall short of the year-earlier figure.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

Vertraagd	11 feb 2025 17:39
Koers	26,680
Verschil	-0,520 (-1,91%)
Hoog	27,180
Laag	26,530
Volume	2.743.889
Volume gemiddeld	2.559.309
Volume gisteren	3.104.041

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