Going that extra mile: survival strategies for the tubes, pipes and fittings industry

摘要

A recovery of sorts is under way, though the economic fundamentals remain shaky. Unemployment is still high, and money is still tight or being created out of thin air. Even so, in the autumn of 2009 there was a feeling among manufacturers in general that the worst was over. After one of its weakest ever quarters (the first of 2009) the stainless steel industry bounced back, with third-quarter production up 12.5% compared with the same period the year before. China has another record-breaking year, with a world share of production that amounted to 37% in January 2010, up from 26% at the end of the third quarter of 2008 (1). We can expect Chinese over-capacity to be a key topic for 2010, even while suppliers elsewhere have been struggling to absorb their inventory costs.