The potential positive spin-off from a Far East steel market revival grabbing headlines such as "sttelmakers enjoying robust demand", clearly has yet to trickle down to refractory raw material consumption. Recent data published by the Japan Refractory Association shows that consumption of refractory minerals by Japan (a useful barometer for Asian refractory mineral demand) for the first half of 2002 dropped by 16% compared to the first half of 2001.
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