Building trust between scrap suppliers and consumers

摘要

I never cease to be amazed at the dramatic changes that have occurred during my 40 years in the steel industry. Particularly in the last 20 years, we have experienced rapid advances in steel-production technology and efficiency. These advances have been spearheaded by the minimill segment and by consistent improvement in electric-arc-furnace steelmaking practices. The rapid growth in EAF production has created tremendous increases in the consumption of ferrous scrap, both in the United States and abroad. Scrap consumption worldwide has boomed more than tenfold in the last three decades. Yet with all the advances in EAF steelmaking, one glaring exception continues to hinder the industry. Steel mills basically don't trust their scrap suppliers. There has been little change in the relationship between scrap suppliers and scrap consumers in the last half-century.