China to end export tax on rare earths and other metals

On April 23, 2015, China decided to eliminate tariffs on rare earths and other such as tungsten, molybdenum and fluorspar starting from May 1 according to the Chinese Ministry of Finance. This might be the end an international trade dispute caused by this controversial policy.

sands cones – minerals of mining industry

China is the biggest producer and consumer of rare earths and responsible for approximately 93% of the world’s rare earth output, but in 2009 the country imposed export restrictions in an attempt to develop its own industry. As a reminder, rare earths are crucial elements for the manufacturing of a wide range of high tech devices, mobile and smart phones, products in the automotive industry etc.

After the implementation of the export tax ,an abrupt reduction in export quotas in 2010 left traders short and froze a high demand on the global market.

As a response to the abolishment of the tax , Bejing will put in place reforms to keep a certain control on its market: today’s chinese rare earth export tax rates currently range from 15 to 25%: 15% for light rare earth elements and 25% for heavy rare earth elements  but Bejing will implement a rare earth resource tax on domestic rare earth products.

rare earth minerals found in China- bloomberg.com

The abolition of this restriction could push up the demand of rare earth demand on the global market and has already pushed a number of market speculation.

Forecasting the boom of demand and export of rare earth products , Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide range of rare earth metal products . You can visit the company’s website , contact us and follow us on twitter and facebook for more information and news on metal

source: bloomberg.com and www.mining.com

Scan the QR code below and stay informed about our latest updates:

Follow us on these social media platforms:

    

Houria // SMC Editor

广告

Milan’s “Made in Steel”

There is a very interesting event going on in Milan these days. In parallel to the 2015 International Exposition, Milan is hosting the Made in Steel exhibition. If you are involved in the steel business it is a great opportunity to promote your products and learn on the latest news about steel and its industry.

According to the website of the fair, Made in Steel is both an industry and international event organized for the first time in 2005. It is a series of conferences and exhibitions all about steel. Here is how the official website of the event describes the fair’s aim and mise en scène.

A combination that expresses the two souls that co-exist within this event, which consists of a perfect balance between business and information, relationships and knowledge. (from madeinsteel.it)

From lamilanocheconviene.it

If you are in Milan or close by and you do not want to miss the chance to find out more about steel, its industry and market, you still have today and tomorrow  to attend Made in Steel. Don’t miss the opportunity!

From siderweb.com

This is the location of the fair.

Remember! Shanghai Metal Corporation provides you with a great selection of steel products. For instance, we offer good quality Coils & Strips, Sheets & Plates, Pipes & Tubes, Bars, at a competitive price. Visit our website and do not hesitate to contact us.

Scan the QR code below and stay informed about our latest updates:

Follow us on these social media platforms:

    

Stefano// SMC Editor

The attraction for copper nowadays

Photopqr – Le Parisien – Daboval Adeline

It’s a good and an unfortunate assessment at the same time that we are able to do each year.

In fact, the attraction for copper have increased the business of this type of metal for manufacturers but unluckily for our customers, the steal of copper is a real problem in Europe, until the point that it became a scourge for European countries.

Italy is one of the most important victims of these thefts in Europe. According to the newspaper Le Figaro, between 2010 and 2011 the number of thefts has known an increase of 300%, from 408 to 1226 cases. These thefts represent almost 631 tons of copper which have been stealed during this period. And the numbers are not decreasing. In Belgium the observation is even worst, from 290 cases of thefts in 2009, the Infrabel Group reported 1 362 cases in 2012. The value of the copper robbed was approximately of 8 millions of Euros which is significant for the Infrabel Group according to the Fedra newspaper.

In the United Kingdom, France and other European countries, the observations are the same. In the UK, the police have made of this problem their second preoccupation after terrorism, which is quite representative of the scope of the thefts.

From thorneandderrick.com

The railways are not the only targets of the organized gangs. Electrical communications, communication networks, construction sites or private houses, are also concerned about this problem. The fact of stealing is not the only problem for these companies, there is many consequences for the companies’ victims of the piracies.

These thefts are creating delays for the companies, and for the railways companies, the cost is huge. In the United Kingdom, the thefts and delays of the trains have created 770 million pounds or 900 million Euros in 2011 of loss. In Belgium these thefts have resulted of 66 440 minutes of delay for the SNBC Group.

From LeSoir.be

The cause of the increase in the attraction for copper is that the copper is becoming rare and as a consequence the price is sharply rising. In 2011, the price of a tone of copper represented 8 000 Euros, five times more than ten years before. Sold in the black market the copper means a lot of money for the organized gangs.

The copper is not the only metal attracting these groups, zinc, steel and nickel are also famous metals experiencing a resurgence of thefts.

From Europe1.fr

Shanghai Metal Corporation, as a manufacturer, exporter and supplier of different types of metals as copper, steel, aluminum, etc, provides you, considering the actual issues encountered by many companies, products with competitive  prices and a high quality incomparable to the harmful effect surrounding the label “Made in China”.

For more information about our products, feel free to visit our website to discover a large range of products that could probably match with your needs. And do not hesitate to contact us for specifications.

Scan the QR code below and stay informed about our latest updates:

Follow us on these social media platforms:

    

Damien / SMC Editor

The 2014 World’s Busiest Container Ports. The winner is…

Wondering which are the busiest container ports across the planet? And which is the world’s leading port city for 2014? This article will provide you with the answer. The list was made public a few weeks ago and, not surprisingly, eight of the top ten ports are Chinese. Moreover, according to Medi Telegraph, 14 is the number of the ports that, in 2014, have handled more than 10 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit), two more than 2013 (Kaohsiung and Dalian). In this chart the only non-Asian ports are Dubai and Rotterdam.

Here is the chart.

from scarbrough-intl.com

The winner is again Shanghai.

	Port	Country	Volume Million TEU	2014/2013
1	Shanghai	China	35.28	+5%
2	Singapore	Singapore	33.90	+4.1%
3	Shenzhen	China	24.03	+3.3%
4	Hong Kong	China	22.30	+0.1%
5	Ningbo	China	19.45	+12%
6	Busan	South Korea	18.65	+5.5%
7	Qindao	China	16.62	+7%
8	Guangzhou	China	16.16	+6%
9	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	15.24	+11.8%
10	Tianjin	China	14.05	+8.1%

Following, Rotterdam 12.30 million TEUs (+ 5.8%), Port Kelang 10, 94 million TEUs (+ 5.8%), Kaohsiung 10.59 million TEUs (+ 6.5%), Dalian 10.59 million TEUs (+ 2%). The Chinese ports alone have handled a total of 179 million TEUs, 6% more than the previous year. (from themeditelegraph.com)

‘Shanghai Port’ from chinarushonline.com

For the fifth consecutive time Shanghai is confirmed as the busiest port for containers in the world. Indeed, in 2010, Singapore lost its crown as leading world’s port remaining so far one step behind in Shanghai.

‘The Port of Singapore’ from forbes.com

Congrats Shaghai and… guess what! Shanghai Metal Corporation based in the city with the busiest world’s container port, provides you with a great selection of containers. Visit our website for more details and do not hesitate to contact us.

Scan the QR code below and stay informed about our latest updates:

Follow us on these social media platforms:

    

Stefano// SMC Editor

Rolling Steel Coil to Make Sheets

The process of getting galvanized steel from its prepared form (coiled and wrapper up) is completed with the aid of a roller. This device allows the user to roll the galvanized sheets into any number of profiles depending on the intended purpose. The practice of rolling metals has been around since 1590, but really took off in approximately 1850.

 

Of the most well know of these purposes if for the use in metal roofing. For this application corrugations are rolled into the galvanized steel to match the environment of the area. For example the most typical corrugation seen is the circular wavy corrugation which performs best when there is some degree of pitch to the roof, whilst a flatter and wider pan may be used when the roof has less of a degree of slant. This wider pan has more surface area to transport water off the roof.

 

Corrugations for external use, such as the cladding of external and internal walls or ceilings may use what is referred to as a mini-orb (smaller corrugation) so as to provide a particular aesthetic, especially when emphasis is put on the internal. Furthermore galvanized steel coil can be pre painted to provide a particular color to meet the end users specification; this paint is baked on and provides an extra layer of protection from the elements.

Shanghai Metal Corporation, being one of the world’s leading suppliers and manufacturers of metal products offers galvanized steel in a multitude of forms that can be used to satisfy the applications mentioned above. These include piping, galvanized steel coils, strips, sheets, plates, wire, pre-painted steel, roofing material (in a number of profiles) as well as steel grating. We also stock and supply coil rollers so you can do it yourself or have the sheets repainted and cut by us.

To find out more about these products or to discuss customization and individual requirements please visit our website Here. For more updates on this and other exciting developments follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Linkedin. Or by using your smart device, scan the QR code below!

Dominick F.//SMC Editor

Sources: Drexmet; Union Corrugating; Galvanizing Association of Australia; Wikipedia; Gulf Coast Steel, Vostelpine

#BuildingValueAcrossTheGlobe

Aluminum- A Question of Supply & Demand

Underpinning this update is news coming out of Tokyo of a record premium price paid by two Japanese buyers for bulk Aluminum through the London Metal Exchange (LME) which is due to be shipped in the October-December Quarter by British-Australian mining giant Rio-Tinto Ltd. Sources close to the negotiations say that Rios offer of $420 per tonne beat other producers offer of between $435 and $460 from suppliers such as Alcoa.

 

This comes of the back of American Alcoa Inc’s  April report that global aluminum demand will exceed production this year, putting an end to nine years of surplus supply of Aluminum driven by high Chinese production. Naturally this excess supply lowered global prices, which for an industry worth $90Billion dollars a year globally will see its impacts felt right throughout the global economic system.

Further driving this global market phenomenon is the closure of many smelters despite forecasts for global Aluminum consumption to increase by 7% throughout the year 2014, with a lot of this stemming from Aerospace and automobile industries.  The closure of smelters outside of China, in particular Japan, USA and Europe.

 

The properties that make aluminum a metal so useful are its lightness, corrosion resistance, non-magnetic, non-toxic, good reflector of light waterproof and odorless, very ductile and also cheap comparing to other alloy.

As a world leader, Shanghai Metal Corporation (SMC) offers Aluminum in various type and size with offices and subsidiaries located throughout  Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas. More information on aluminum can be found on our website here. Be sure to join the conversation in our LinkedIn group, Facebook, Twitter & Tumblr. You can also scan the QR code below with your smart device to connect with us on these platforms.

 

Dominick F.//SMC Editor

Sources; Reuters; Bloomberg; Wikipedia; Yahoo! Finance; Cedar Recycling

#BuildingValueAcrossTheGlobe

Эксперты: Санкции повлияют на экономику РФ, но пострадают и страны ЕС.

Страны ЕС предварительно договорились об экономических санкциях в отношении России, сообщает агентство Рейтер со ссылкой на дипломатический источник. Как отмечается, новые санкции затронут нефтяную сферу, оборону, поставки продукции двойного назначения и технологии. При этом санкции могут быть пересмотрены уже через три месяца.

Ущерб, который понесут Россия и Евросоюз от введения санкций, примерно равен, отмечают в ЕС.

“Санкции против России окажут влияние на всю мировую экономику, но не сразу”, – сообщают также эксперты британской газеты The Financial Times. Причем гораздо сильнее они затронут страны Евросоюза, нежели США, цитируют оценку аналитиков РИА Новости.

Ущерб от введения третьего пакета санкций для России составит для каждой стороны около 100 миллиардов долларов за два года, подсчитали в Евросоюзе.

В наибольшей степени от срыва контрактов с Россией пострадают страны южной части Европы и в первую очередь – Италия, сообщает Euobserver.сom. По подсчетам Комитета по восточноевропейским экономическим отношениям, санкции могут привести к сокращению 350 тысяч рабочих мест в Германии, которые напрямую зависят от российско-немецкого товарооборота, а это 80 миллиардов евро в год.

Egor T.//SMC Editor

In Economic Turmoil, Environment Remains Key

Even during periods of economic turmoil, the environment remains a key issue for our world.

 

By 2050, it is estimated that there will be two billion more people living in the world’s cities which, according to experts, will mean that world construction will grow by more than 70% and reach $15 trillion by 2025, outpacing global GDP. Part of the solution is to build with steel – 50% of steel is used in construction. With four people per house, this will mean providing 1,427 homes every hour, with most of them needed in Asia and Africa. How can such growth be made sustainable?

As most people are aware, steel is used in so many important applications, from bridges and other large constructions, trains and rail lines to industrial machinery, housing, offices, hospitals, cars, buses and bicycles, to name but a few examples. Steel delivers a number of unique environmental benefits, such as product longevity, recyclability, easy transportation and less raw material wastage. In addition, steel offers architectural and design flexibility due to its inherent strength, which allows large span distances and curves to be easily incorporated into designs.

Perhaps best of all, steel is 100% recyclable, without losing any of its properties or strength, and thus reducing the solid waste stream, which results in saved landfill space and the conservation of natural resources. Indeed, more steel is recycled each day than any other material. Even better, the steel industry as a whole has dramatically improved its energy efficiency over the past 30 years, cutting energy consumption by 50% per tonne of steel produced and substantially reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, also per tonne of steel.

The industry is always looking for ways to improve, and to that end a project is in place in the United States that explores the possibility of replacing carbon with hydrogen in blast furnaces. In addition, ULCOS, which stands for Ultra–Low Carbon Dioxide(CO2) Steelmaking, is a consortium of 48 European companies and organisations from 15 European countries that have launched a co-operative research and development initiative to enable drastic reduction in CO2 emissions from steel production. The consortium consists of all major EU steel companies, energy and engineering partners, research institutes and universities and is supported by the European Commission. The aim of the ULCOS programme is to reduce today’s CO2 emissions by at least 50%.

From a human health perspective, steel frames have proven ideal for the ‘healthy home’ concept. The incidence of asthma and sensitivity to chemicals is on the increase and steel frames have been used to achieve allergen-free and dust-free interiors. This requires techniques such as special sealing around windows, moisture barrier systems in the walls, extensive insulation, and whole house ventilation systems. Steel frames retain their original dimensions, which is a major factor in maintaining effective long-term sealing.

Steel is already being used to help manufacture lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles as well as renewable energy infrastructure including wind turbines, solar installations, smart electric grids and energy-efficient housing and commercial buildings. Its economic benefits include its quick construction off-site, which means less site disturbance and waste, more usable floor space, e.g. thinner floors allowing for more stories in a building, the flexibility to re-configure buildings and steel has a long life with low maintenance, plus energy efficiency for lower operating costs.

Sited: WorldSteel

Ashley G. // Editor SMC

Применение алюминиевой фольги для консервирования продуктов

Алюминий начали широко применять при изготовлении аппаратуры для производства и хранения крепкой азотной кислоты, пероксида водорода, органических веществ и пищевых продуктов благодаря его высокой коррозионной стойкости и нетоксичности.

Алюминиевая фольга стала очень распространенным упаковочным материалом, так как она гораздо прочнее и дешевле оловянной. Также алюминий стал широко использоваться для изготовления тары для консервирования и храпения продуктов сельского хозяйства. Но хранение не ограничивается маленькими баночками, алюминий используется для строительства зернохранилищ и других быстровозводимых сооружений, востребованных в сельском хозяйстве.

Также широко алюминий применяется в военной промышленности при строительстве самолетов, танков, артиллерийских установок, ракет, зажигательных веществ, и дл многих других целей в военной технике.

Широкое применение алюминий высокой чистоты находит в таких новых областях техники как ядерная энергетика, полупроводниковая электроника, радиолокация.

Большое распространение алюминий получил как антикоррозийное покрытие, он прекрасно защищает металлические поверхности от действия различных химических веществ и атмосферной коррозии.

Egor T.//SMC Editor

Работа Уралвагонзавода и Caterpillar по созданию совместного предприятия не будет продолжена из-за санкций США

 

 

 

 

Работа Уралвагонзавода и Caterpillar по созданию совместного предприятия не будет продолжена из-за санкций США в отношении УВЗ, сообщает ИТАР-ТАСС.

“Проект пострадает, если санкции будут продолжены. Мы на холде (от англ. hold — «держать») стоим, потому что мы должны были его реализовать на прошлой неделе, но из-за того что ввели санкции, все в стопоре.” – Олег Сиенко, генеральный директор УВЗ.

Речь идет об очередном пакете документов по созданию совместного предприятия с Caterpillar, который планировали подписать еще на прошлой неделе. По словам Сиенко, в августе должны были «привезти два локомотива под сертификацию, их надо было сейчас начинать грузить — эта ситуация остановлена».

Сейчас УВЗ ждет от американских партнеров информацию, как они видят дальнейшую реализацию проекта и, скорее всего, получат ее в начале августа.

Напомним, США ввели дополнительные санкции против России из-за ситуации на Украине. В отношении УВЗ вместе с другими предприятиями российской оборонки ввели блокирующие санкции, которые предусматривают полное прекращение с ними каких-либо контактов со стороны США и замораживание их активов в американских банках.

Локомотивостроительное подразделение Caterpillar — Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) и Уралвагонзавод в 2013 году подписали протокол о намерениях, касающийся разработки и производства магистральных локомотивов в РФ. Предполагалось, что СП создадут на базе Челябинского тракторного завода, входящего в УВЗ. Не менее половины всей продукции будет производиться в России: например, рамы, кабины и элементы управления для нового локомотива.

Egor T.//SMC Editor