Hasso Haibach appointed new CEO of Becker Stahl-Service
Hasso Haibach has been appointed as the new CEO of Becker Stahl-Service GmbH with effect from November 1, 2023.
He succeeds Guido Kerkhoff, who held the position on an interim basis.
Mr. Haibach has more than 15 years of experience in managing companies in the steel and metals industry and is a recognized expert in corporate development with a focus on sales and operational excellence.
Prior to joining Becker, Hasso Haibach held numerous management positions. Most recently, he worked as Managing Director at Timken Germany GmbH, where his responsibilities included supply chain management and new business development. Prior to that, he was Managing Director at Altenloh, Brinck & Co – Umformtechnik, responsible for two subsidiaries in Germany and France. At ArcelorMittal, Hasso Haibach was Managing Director of Flat Steel Sales in the DACH region and was responsible, among other things, for expanding the company’s market position.
We are looking forward to working with Hasso Haibach and welcome him to the Becker Group. Together with Christina Kolbeck (CFO), he will form the management of Becker Stahl-Service GmbH with immediate effect. In addition, he will also join the management boards of Becker Aluminium Service-GmbH and Becker subsidiary Umformtechnik Stendal GmbH.
At Becker, in addition to many other important topics, he will in particular continue to drive forward the expansion of the company into a multi-metals platform with a high level of quality and customer orientation.
Source: becker-metals.com
Francis Mer, former leader of Saint-Gobain and Arcelor, passes away at 84
Francis Mer, the former leader of Saint-Gobain and Arcelor, and a prominent figure in French industry and politics, has passed away at the age of 84.
Francis Mer, who served as the Minister of Economy during Jacques Chirac’s presidency and played a crucial role in transforming Usinor into Arcelor, breathed his last on November 1. The news was announced by Jean-Pierre Raffarin via Twitter, who paid tribute to Mer’s “uncompromising ethics, unwavering loyalty, and dedication to serving.”
Current Minister of the Economy, Bruno le Maire, also expressed his condolences on social media, remembering Mer as an “industrialist who left a lasting impact on his country, both at Saint-Gobain and in the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Industry.”
A graduate of Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole des Mines de Paris, Francis Mer embarked on his career at the Ministry of Industry in 1965, later joining Saint-Gobain in 1970. Over the years, he climbed the corporate ladder, eventually becoming the CEO of Pont-à-Mousson in 1982. In 1986, the French government entrusted him with the leadership of the steel group Usinor-Sacilor, which would be privatized in 1995. Despite years of losses, Mer orchestrated a significant turnaround, marked by a painful restructuring that involved substantial workforce reductions.
Mer played a pivotal role in the merger of Usinor with Luxembourg’s Arbed and Spain’s Aceralia, culminating in the birth of Arcelor in 2001. Following his departure from the company, Arcelor became the focus of an intense stock market battle, ultimately won by the Indian conglomerate Mittal. The merger resulted in the formation of ArcelorMittal in 2006.
France mourns the loss of a visionary industrialist and dedicated public servant. Francis Mer’s legacy is etched in the history of French industry, where his contributions have left an indelible mark.
Source: usinenouvelle.com
John Williamson named as LME Chairman
The London Metal Exchange (LME) announces that John Williamson, currently LME Interim Chairman, will become the LME’s Chairman, effective immediately under a new fixed-term contract through to 28 April 2026.
Commenting on his appointment, John said: “I am delighted to have been asked to continue in the role of Chairman of the LME. Since taking on the interim role in April this year, we have already made good progress in strengthening the LME Board; we have attracted a number of experienced new talents to the group and we continue to drive forward, at pace, the LME’s two-year strategic development programme. Over the last six months, I have very much enjoyed working with the Board and the executive team and I remain fully committed to supporting the future of the LME and to reinforcing the pivotal role that it plays in the global metals community. The macro backdrop is a challenging one, and it is institutions such as the LME that provide the certainty, clarity and robustness that facilitate global markets and the global economy. Looking forward, without losing this resilience or functionality for which the LME is known, we will continue to focus on measures that will advance the market’s structure, keeping the LME competitive and attractive, driving liquidity, and supporting our members and customers as they deliver their own success.”
LME Chief Executive, Matthew Chamberlain said: “I am delighted that John will become the LME’s new permanent Chairman. Confirmation that he will be with us at this important time for the industry and the LME is great news. John has already demonstrated his commitment to the business and the industry, and his experience, knowledge and passion will be invaluable as we move forward. I know I speak on behalf of the full LME team in congratulating John, and I very much look forward to working with him in the future.”
John Williamson was appointed Interim Chairman of the London Metal Exchange in April, 2023. He is Chairman of the UK Tote Group and an Independent Non-Executive Director on the Board of Pacific Basin Shipping Limited. He is a Chartered Accountant, a Chartered Fellow of the Securities Institute, and a Senior Fellow of the Hong Kong Securities Institute. He was formerly an Independent Non-Executive Director on the Board of HKEX, LME’s parent company (2008-2021) so has extensive knowledge of LME’s business and markets; and has previously served on the Boards of the Hong Kong Securities Institute and several other private companies.
Mr Williamson has worked within the finance and securities industry for over 40 years and has deep expertise across commerce, investment banking, wealth management, IT, risk, governance and regulation in capital markets. He previously held senior executive roles with Search Investment Group, Morgan Stanley, NatWest Securities and Wood Mackenzie & Co.
The appointment of Mr Williamson has been through the usual regulatory processes.
Source: lme.com
Salzgitter Mannesmann Stahlservice became a member of EUROMETAL
We are pleased to inform that Salzgitter Mannesmann Stahlservice joined as member of EUROMETAL.
Salzgitter Mannesmann Stahlservice (SMS) is the name of the two Steel Service Centres owned by German Steel and Technology company Salzgitter AG.
Due to being a member of stock listed Salzgitter AG, SMS has the full power and support of the corporate organisation and the steel mill in Salzgitter, as well as being able to operate in a flexible and Service Centre like way.
SMS has a capacity of over 600,000t of steel service, with four slitting lines, four cut to length lines, both equally split over the two production sites as well as various dedicated multi blanking lines for specific industries.
An array of shears completes the main production program. The inventory carried is usually well over 100,000t.
Due to water access and railroad access with own Salzgitter trains and train operators, SMS has a strong and secure supply chain.
SMS sells material from Salzgitter Flachstahl, as well as from an array of other European and International suppliers to always have the right fit for the customers.
Due to the strongly developed Customer Support organisation, SMS is able to help customers use the steel in an optimal way.
SMS holds ISO 9001, IATF 16949 as well as ISO 14001 certificates.
Salzgitter is at the forefront of decarbonizing the steel making process. SMS carries the SALCOS® low CO2-products produced by Salzgitter and as such takes responsibility for its share of reduction of its CO2 footprint.
More information: salzgitter-ssc.de
European HRC producers increasingly bullish on prices amid rising costs, reduced supplies
Integrated steelmakers in Northern Europe are aiming for €30-50 ($32-53) per tonne rises for January delivery coil, citing higher costs and limited availability due to production cuts.
Offers for January delivery HRC from the mills in the region were reported at €660-680 ($699-720) per tonne ex-works.
Buyer price ideas for HRC, however, were reported at €620-630 per tonne ex-works.
Even lower bids – at €600-610 per tonne ex-works – were heard for December delivery HRC, but mills were reluctant to accept the lower prices, sources said.
Buyers were coming back to the market for to restock, but remained cautious about making bookings, due to being unconvinced about the sustainability of the price uptrend and citing deteriorating demand from end-user sectors and a poor outlook for 2024.
“Prices are, indeed, moving up a bit, but it’s not because of an improving economy,” a steel service center source told Fastmarkets. “It’s restocking to secure deliveries and confirmed lead times, so as not to run out of material. [But] most mills are reducing production.”
Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Northern Europe at €622.50 ($659.98) per tonne on November 1, unchanged from Tuesday.
But the index was up by €11.04 per tonne week on week and by €2.08 per tonne month on month.
In Southern Europe, Fastmarkets’ calculated its corresponding daily steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Italy at €603.75 per tonne on November 1, also stable day on day.
The Italian index was up by €3.75 per tonne week on week, but down by €5.00 per tonne month on month.
The market was quiet on November 1 due to a public holiday in Italy, but sources said there had been a slight pick-up in activity due to some cautious restocking.
For December delivery, Italian mills were looking to get €640-650 per tonne delivered, which nets back to €625-635 per tonne ex-works. But for January tonnages some producers were aiming as high at 650 per tonne ex-works, sources said.
Buyer price ideas came in at about €600-610 per tonne ex-works, or even €600 per tonne delivered in some cases, but producers were not accepting any lower bids, they added.
Import offers were getting scarce, however, with the lowest-cost options reportedly already gone and with some suppliers also mulling prices rises.
In general, prices for Asia-origin HRC for early January shipment were consolidating at around €600 per tonne CFR.
Published by: Julia Bolotova
European CRC, HDG producers aim for higher prices
In Northern Europe, local producers were aiming for some €30-50 ($32-53) per tonne rises for CRC and HDG with January-February delivery.
Firm offers were still rare, however, sources said.
One mill estimated the price for CRC at €750-770 per tonne ex-works and around €780-800 per tonne ex-works for HDG.
Another producer pointed out, however, that for first-quarter delivery, prices for both CRC and HDG in the region “should start with ‘8’ just to cover costs of production.”
Buyers, however, estimated tradable values lower, at €700-720 per tonne ex-works for CRC and €720-740 per tonne ex-works for HDG coil.
The major problem was deteriorating demand from key consumers — the construction and automotive industries — and severe competition between
steel-service centers and distributors in the downstream market.
“There is a severe competition between SSC’s and stockholders, as everybody is trying to lower inventories for December,” a distributor said.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel cold-rolled coil domestic, exw Northern Europe was €710-720 per tonne on Wednesday, up by €10 per tonne from €700-710 per tonne on October 25.
And the corresponding weekly price assessment for steel hot-dipped galvanized coil domestic, exw Northern Europe was €720-740 per tonne on Wednesday, widening upward by €15 per tonne from €720-725 per tonne seven days earlier.
Import CRC and HDG offers were getting scarce as some suppliers withdrew from the market to reconsider prices.
“[A South Korean mill] will only come back with new offers in mid-November, and they will be increasing the price,” a trading source in Southern Europe said.
Offers of Japan-origin CRC for January shipment were reported at €675-680 per tonne CFR to Southern Europe.
Turkish suppliers, however, were able to offer December shipment, January delivery CRC at €700-710 per tonne CFR.
A Vietnamese supplier was offering $820-830 per tonne CFR for 0.5mm HDG with Z100-120 coating for Janaury shipment.
Published by: Julia Bolotova
Austria’s steel production rebounds in September, down on-year
Austria’s steelmakers decreased crude steel production in September compared to the previous year, according to worldsteel data.
Output amounted to 514,000 tonnes, up by 17.4% compared to August, but 8.7% less on-year, Kallanish notes.
In January-September, the country produced 5.4 million tonnes of steel, down 7% on-year.
In 2022, Austria reduced steel production by 4.7% on-year to 7.51mt.
Overall EU output in September fell by 1.1% on-year to 10.6mt. In January-September, EU steelmakers produced 96.2mt, down 9% on-year.
Earlier, Austria’s commerce chamber Wirtschaftskammer Österreich (WKO) expressed concern over the crash of demand and orders for commodities in the country (see Kallanish passim). WKO sees orders declining by as much as 30%, and there is no relief in sight.
Austria’s largest steelmaker voestalpine recently broke ground on the electric arc furnace project at its Donawitz site, part of the Austrian steelmaker’s “greentec steel” plan for low-emission steelmaking (see Kallanish passim). Danieli has been chosen to supply the engineering, production, and commissioning of the EAF, using DIGIMELTER Technology.
Construction of the 850,000 tonnes/year capacity EAF will begin in 2024, with commissioning scheduled three years later.
Previously, voestalpine approved an investment of around €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) for the construction of one EAF at each of its two sites in Austria – Linz and Donawitz. These will ultimately replace two blast furnaces by 2027.
Voestalpine expects good earnings after a strong 2022/23 fiscal year (see Kallanish passim). It recorded the highest level of revenue and the best operating result in its history, surpassing even its record year of 2021/22. The firm said in June that expectations were more cautious because of the war in Ukraine, among other geopolitical tensions worldwide, and persistent inflation in both Europe and North America.
Svetoslav Abrossimov Bulgaria
Toyota records September production high
Standalone auto production, surged 12.8% on-month to 900,919 units, though it was just 1.5% higher than a year earlier. Of that, both domestic and overseas production hiked from the prior month, but were up 12.8% and down 3.6% on-year respectively to 310,920 and 589,999 units.
Japan and North America are the main ares to see growth because of solid demand and an easing of semiconductor shortages. However, a previous fire at a parts plant in Czechia and intense competition continued to impact European and Chinese production, leading to a yearly decrease of 27.6% and 6.7%.
Between January and September, standalone production rose 6.7% on-year to 7.57 million units. Trends continued with a huge gap, with production inside and outside of Japan rising 32.9% and 2.5% to 1.28m and 6.29m units respectively.
For consolidated production including Daihatsu and Hino Motors, the monthly figure also hit a high for September of nearly 1.04m units.
Year-to-date output gained 8.2% to 8.51m units. In the fiscal year-to-date starting from April, the figure also hit a record high at 5.6m units, 8.3% higher than a year earlier.
In addition, both standalone and consolidated sales also hit a high for September at 921,308 and over 1m units. Y-t-d sales rose 6.7% and 6.5% on-year respectively to 7.57m and 8.27m units on standalone and consolidated bases.
Cliffs/USS merger would be anti-competitive: auto group
In a letter to Congress and regulators, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) argues that the merged entity would control too much of the automotive steel market, threatening to increase costs for manufacturers. The group, representing Hyundai, General Motors, Toyota Motor and Volkswagen, is concerned about the availability of competitively priced essential car parts should the sale proceed.
“The potential concentration in domestic steel production that will result from this proposed transaction deserves antitrust scrutiny from the subcommittee and government regulators. In particular, the government should examine the potential for anti-competitive pricing of materials used by steel-reliant automotive manufacturers,” writes John Bozzella, ceo of AAI.
if Cleveland-Cliffs acquires US Steel, the combined entity would produce “more than 90% of US advanced high-strength steel used for automotive underbody panels, bodyside reinforcements and impact areas,” AAI’s letter states. Furthermore, the company would provide “80% of body in white (BIW) steel used to produce a vehicle’s structural frame [and] 65 percent of US exposed grade steel used for automotive surface panels like doors, hoods and fenders.”
Domestic steel market participants tell Kallanish that the auto group has a point.
The operator of a large service centre in the Midwest says: “The AAI is correct. Prices, all things being equal, would be much higher with a Cleveland-Cliffs’ purchase of US Steel. Antitrust issues are driven by how regulators define the relevant markets. The usual way the Clayton Act would be applied, you would think there isn’t a path to approval without a major break-up.”
A second service-centre source adds: “This deal will never happen. The administration will not allow it.”
The AAI letter addresses how the consolidation of blast furnaces and the ownership of most iron ore mining and processing facilities would put automakers at a costly disadvantage. There are implications for electric vehicle manufacturers too.
“A consolidation is also problematic for the production of electrical steel (e-steel) used for electric vehicle (EV) motors. Currently, there are two primary domestic suppliers of automotive grade e-steel in the US: Cleveland-Cliffs and Big River Steel (owned by US Steel). In a combined company, 100 percent of the domestic e-steel needed for electrical motors and EV production will be concentrated in a single company,” Bozzella writes.
Cleveland-Cliffs made an unsolicited offer to purchase US Steel for $7.25 billion but was rebuffed (see Kallanish passim). Later US Steel announced it was considering bids from multiple potential buyers (see Kallanish 30 August).
Kristen DiLandro USA