In 2015 EU steel distribution deliveries developed in a more positive way than in US
In first 10 months of 2015, deliveries to steel end use segments by European flat steel service centers did increase by +6 % when compared to the same period of 2014.
Comparing October 2015 with October 2014, deliveries have been growing by +4 %, year-on-year.
On the other hand deliveries by European multi-product & proximity steel stockholding distribution turned less positive.
October 2015 deliveries decreased by -2 % when compared to October 2014.
In the first 10 months of 2015 deliveries by this distribution segment were lower by -2 % than during first 10 months of 2014.
Commenting the diverging business developments in the two main steel distribution segments, EUROMETAL Director General, Georges Kirps, pointed out that value adding flat SSC seem to enhance their market position as channel to supply strip mill products to steel end use sectors, mainly automotive and white goods.
Multi-product & proximity distributors are the privileged channel to route long steel products, plates and tubes to end use sectors construction industry, civil engineering, mechanical engineering and yellow goods.
In comparison to shipments of US steel distribution, Kirps added, that in 2015 EU steel distribution deliveries developed in a more positive way than those of their US colleagues, who will note a significant decline in 2015.
Georges Kirps, Director General
EUROMETAL elects Tata’s Lauber president
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Alain Le Grix De La Salle, vp of ArcelorMittal, stepped down from the post following the election of Lauber at the association’s general assembly on Thursday December 10.
Re-elected as vice presidents of Eurometal were Johan Rosseel, of Rosseel in Belgium, and Cesare Vigano, of AMCLN in Italy. Mikael Nyquist, of Tibnor in Sweden, was newly elected to join them.
Nyquist replaced Ralph Oppenheimer, former chairman of steel trader Stemcor.
Published by: Nina Nasman
Liberty Tubular Solutions opens for business
Liberty House tells Kallanish that it has moved a step closer to creating what will be the industry’s first fully-integrated operation, from liquid steel through to finished product and market distribution. The steel and trading group was commenting following its acquisition last weekend of Caparo Tubular Solutions (CTS), based in the UK’s West Midlands (see Kallanish 30 November).
Liberty representatives formally moved into the CTS Oldbury headquarters plant early this week (1 December 2015) “… to join management and workers there in building a new future for the business,” Liberty says. The purchase of the business saves 333 jobs.
Liberty’s owners, the Gupta family, bought Caparo Tubular Solutions – now renamed Liberty Tubular Solutions – from administrators PwC only six weeks after restarting its own rolling mill at Newport, South Wales. This is already producing 50,000 tonnes/month of hot rolled coil for the UK market, Liberty says, based on imported slab. It intends eventually to begin melting domestic scrap with its EAF located on the same site.
Liberty House Group managing director Sanjeev Gupta says that, “… Tubular Solutions is a profitable and sustainable business and we are very excited about the future. There are many natural synergies between our hot rolled coil production and this design, manufacturing and distribution business. By working together these operations can create an integrated and robust new business model that will create value and protect jobs for the long term.”
Gupta and Liberty have an undoubtedly upbeat view of the potential of the UK steel sector at a time when many other steel industry operators are naysayers, both in word and deed. The new business model and – more importantly, the new positivity – is just what the UK steel sector needs, Kallanish observes.
Kallanish
