BMPCA Meet with a delegation from the Chinese Iron and Steel Association

On the 31st of May 2007 a delegation from the Chinese Iron and Steel Association (CISA) met with members of the BMPCA i.e. Peter Kobayashi chairman of the BMPCA,Bob Ruddlestone Director of the BMPCA,Mike Sorby Vice Chairman BMPCA and Paul Kincell of Davy Markham.

China currently produces 450mt of steel products and consumes 430mt making them a nett exporter of steel. They realise if this goes on unchecked further increases in capacity and a subsequent increase in export of steel products this could have a serious negative impact on the global steel industry. To address this they are looking to reduce capacities particularly in the small inefficient steelmills.To achieve this they are seeking to encourage these mills to diversify into service centre type operations.

China has little experience in stockholder, service centre type of operations and the purpose of their visit is to gain first hand experience of these businesses in Europe so that they can develop a model for the mills to adopt. To this end they had already met with NASS.The UK association for Steel Stockholders.NASS has indicated that they are willing to work with CISA either in an advisory capacity or as a link for their members. This was reported in the Steel Business Briefing last week.

The meeting with the BMPCA was to establish links with equipmemt manufacturers, of particular interest would be service centre equipment such as cut to length lines and laser profiling etc.

We took the opportunity to present the products and services provided by all the members companies of the BMPCA using the slideshow, publicity brochures and newsletter. All of this was well received by the CISA.The leader of the CISA delegation nominated the deputy secretary of the organisation to liaise with us

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