March 2010

Geely Buys Volvo as Tata’s Nano Goes up in Smoke

by Stuart Burns on March 31, 2010

Style:    Category: M&A Activity, Manufacturing, Product Developments

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Tata invested some $440 million in designing the car, moving (following local objections at the original site) and then building the production facilities for the Nano according to this report. How accurate this figure is remains debatable. A significant portion of the R&D cost was pushed onto suppliers but let’s take the number at face [...]

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China Puts the Brakes on Tungsten Production

by Lisa Reisman on March 31, 2010

Style:    Category: Global Trade, Minor Metals

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In the discussion of rare earth metals, minor metals and the range of new applications relying on these types of metals, we’d argue that tungsten tends to get lost in the shuffle. Yet it probably shouldn’t given some of its key properties used most notably in electrical applications such as incandescent light bulbs and for [...]

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European Car Makers – The Chinese are Coming!

by Stuart Burns on March 31, 2010

Style:    Category: Global Trade, Product Developments

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For those old enough to remember it there could be a sense of déjà vu in the current global automotive market.  Back in the 1970′s Europe and the US viewed Japanese car makers as a bit of a joke. Their cars were cheap with a tin-like feel, very much focused toward the non aspiring buyer [...]

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Some Steel Producers Still Talking About Expansion

by Stuart Burns on March 30, 2010

Style:    Category: Ferrous Metals, Supply & Demand

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Some just find it hard to kick the habit, or maybe a locked mind-set is a better way of describing some steel makers assumptions that they must invest and grow in order to survive. Where did sustainability and efficiency go? We speak here after hearing conflicting speeches at different conferences around the world. In Sharm [...]

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The Role of Price Forecast Modeling Tools

by Lisa Reisman on March 30, 2010

Style:    Category: Sourcing Strategies

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Last week we ran a post on a Procurement Leaders conference we recently attended and some of the interesting nuggets of discussion that arose. We also mentioned an interesting debate going on at our sister site, SpendMatters. That debate involves price forecast modeling where we received a number of comments about the role of “advanced [...]

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Is Zinc Headed For a Crash?

by Stuart Burns on March 30, 2010

Style:    Category: Inventory Stock Levels, Non-ferrous Metals

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The International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) explains in their latest monthly bulletin that the market shifted into significant excess production last year according to Reuters. Global refined zinc production has come back strongly such that it stood at 932,100 tons in January 2010 compared to 683,000 tons in January 2009. Source ILZSG Producer [...]

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China Currency Manipulation Gains More Steam

by Lisa Reisman on March 29, 2010

Style:    Category: Anti-Dumping, Commodities, Exports, Global Trade, Imports, Macroeconomics

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We can’t believe we published this piece almost one year ago (May 14 to be exact) posing the question: “Will Congress Put a Stop to China Currency Manipulation? The answer then, a resounding no as a currency manipulation bill died a fast death. But that was then and this is now. The “China Manipulates its [...]

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New Airframe Construction Techniques Lowers Both Manufacturing and In-Service Costs

by Stuart Burns on March 29, 2010

Style:    Category: Metal Fabricated Parts, Product Developments

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One of the British armed forces most stalwart helicopters over the years has been the little Lynx used by the Army and Navy for battlefield reconnaissance and maritime support since the late 1970′s. In 1986, a modified Lynx broke the airspeed record for helicopters, which still stands today. Naturally it has gone through various upgrades [...]

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