IJmuiden, the Netherlands/Cpris's fornt line steelworks

摘要

The IJmuiden steelworks in the Netherlands has been a bright spot through the challenging times faced by the Corus Group since its formation four years ago by merging British Steel with Dutch steel and aluminium producer Hoogovens. Corus has spent much of its relatively short life making difficult decisions, most of them stemming from the problems caused by operating largely outside the eurozone, and having a UK home market characterised by a steadily declining manufacturing base. IJmuiden, the group's sole integrated steelworks on mainland Europe, operates on a different playing held. It has been untroubled by sterling's strong standing against the euro for much of Corus's existence and, sited just down the road from Germany the EU's largest industrial economy, has enjoyed marketing opportunities its UK cousins could only envy.