During a recent high level review with a global vehicle manufacturer we discussed many issues but one of the most bizarre was their efforts into low cost country sourcing. Having established an IPO near Shanghai staffed by an experienced Chinese sourcing professional and five highly qualified engineers with deep expertise in: castings/forgings, machinings, painting, heat treatment [...]
When it comes to the United States’ relationship with China, people often have varying opinions. Yet the fate of both countries remains intertwined and connected. Globalization has firmly taken root. Both countries have big economic hurdles to overcome. Trade policies on one side will have enormous ramifications and consequences to the economy of the other. [...]
The recent financial crisis certainly makes business harder for companies like Norilsk, the world’s biggest palladium and nickel producer. Palladium producers expect 12-year lows next summer, and nickel producers keep cutting back production. To make matters worse, Norilsk expects the road to become rockier. Yesterday, the firm’s chief executive, Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, announced that the company’s [...]
Almost 5 years ago (December would have been five) Nucor rescinded a steel price increase to announce a new formula for handling “unprecedented raw material cost increases” in the form of steel surcharges, a fee to be added to the regular monthly steel base price and set on the third Monday of the month to [...]
Editor’s Note: We would like to thank guest blogger Jason Busch for his kind contributions this week. Stuart and Lisa have been on the road but will be back with some international metals perspectives later this week and next week. I’m not sure how many MetalMiner readers follow the somewhat obscure minor metal, Palladium, but a bit [...]
Leading platinum refiner Johnson Matthey recently forecast that palladium prices could fall flat within the next six months. “The dramatic fall in the palladium price in the third quarter of the year could yet pose significant challenges to the primary producers and make expansion less attractive,” the refiner released in an interim review. According to [...]
Like the super tankers they build, the Korea shipyards, home to some 40% of the world’s shipbuilding industry, take a long time to be deflected from their course. The number two shipbuilder by sales Samsung Heavy Industries just announced record third quarter results and expressed confidence in the next two quarters cushioned from the current [...]
Japanese companies have already shown the world how much they care about rare metals preservation, and the Japanese Denture Recycling Association (JDRA) considers nothing more precious. Their latest efforts uncover precious metals from dentures and support needy children through simple recycling programs. “It’s said that Japan has more gold and silver stored in things like metal [...]
