Two Poles 08 Steel Industry

Hot blooded first half year

      盈利大跃进

In the first half of this year,

In January 16th this year, China's largest

In a profitable situation, Wuhan Iron and steel has proposed a grand goal of sprint billion.

      尽管其他钢铁公司可能没有武钢那样的好成绩，但是，今年上半年，明确的是，钢铁行业形势大好。有关数据显示，2008年上半年，我国钢铁行业实现利润982.46亿元，月均163.74亿元，总体保持盈利高水平。

      矿石价格飞涨

China's iron and steel enterprises' booming profits have been accompanied by the distress of happiness. China has been trying to gain the initiative to control international iron ore prices and control the soaring cost of raw materials. However, China's attempt failed.

      在2月中旬，日本新日铁公司与巴西淡水河谷达成协议，铁矿石协议价格比上年上涨65%。随后，中国钢铁企业进行了些许抵抗，但没有效果。不久之后，宝钢就宣布，同淡水河谷达成协议，涨幅同前。至此，业内外人士均认为，全球铁矿石谈判将就此结束，因为按照国际惯例，只要三大铁矿石供应方之一与全球最大型钢铁企业之一达成协议，其他供应商或钢铁企业都将遵守此协议。

However, something unexpected happened.

      传统的铁矿石价格谈判机制就此瓦解。连续6年涨价之后，铁矿石价格累积涨幅已超过200%，可是各大铁矿石巨头依然没有满足的样子，他们都集体表示，2009年铁矿石价格还将上涨，因为中国需求巨大，铁矿石依然供不应求。

Cool the second half of the year

      全球裁员减产

Neither the iron and steel manufacturing industry nor the iron ore suppliers did not expect that in the second half of the year, the US financial crisis broke out and the global economy was plunged into recession. Due to the sharp decline in demand, hot steel was poured into the cool water by sudden ice water.

In December, Agneli, President of iron ore producer vale, called on the Brazil government to revise strict labour laws to reduce the cost of the company's layoffs and help them cope with the financial crisis better.

Not long ago, Vale said that in response to the financial crisis, it has laid off 1300 people worldwide and has arranged up to 5500 employees to take collective leave.

      与此同时，淡水河谷宣布减产铁矿石3000万吨，并减少在法国、挪威和印度尼西亚等国的生产。与淡水河谷的大幅度裁员相比，力拓的裁员幅度有过之而无不及。力拓声称，将裁员1.4万人，资本投资减逾50%，并出售重要资产，力争使明年的净债务削减100亿美元。

Pohang iron and Steel said that due to the global economic downturn and the low operating rate of downstream industries such as automotive appliances, in response to the reduction in steel demand and price declines, it decided to cut output by 200 thousand tons in December and reduce 370 thousand tons in January next year, the first time in the history of the company's reduction.

Earlier, the world's largest steel producer, Ansai Le Mittal, said it had laid off 9000 people worldwide, of which 6000 were European employees.

      金融危机加反倾销

      中国的情况也好不到哪里去。我国钢铁生产在6月份达到最高峰，然后逐步下滑。其中11月粗钢产量创下30个月来的新低。

The latest data show that in November, China's iron and steel enterprises fell into losses in the whole industry, with a loss of up to 12 billion 770 million yuan.

      进入12月，情况看起来略有好转，主要表现在钢材价格的大幅下跌之势有所减缓，铁矿石的价格也有所回升，钢铁生产大省河北的大中小钢厂开始逐步恢复生产，而宝钢最近也上调了明年2月份的钢材价格。然而，业内人士表示，这只不过是反弹，钢铁企业的苦日子还会持续。中国钢铁企业一边要和经济形势作斗争，一边还要受到国际社会的“反倾销”大棒之苦。

      12月10日，印度商工部对中国等7国和地区的冷轧不锈钢发起反倾销调查，其目的很明确，在经济危机之时，以此来保护国内钢铁企业。与此同时，欧盟决定对从中国、俄罗斯、白俄罗斯进口的焊管征收5年反倾销税，中国税率高达90.6%，乌克兰44.1%，白俄罗斯为38.1%，俄罗斯为20.5%。12月26日反倾销税率正式生效。

America's "anti-dumping" stick has never stopped for Chinese iron and steel enterprises.

In December 5th, the US Commerce Department ruled that the termination of the above anti-dumping duty order could lead to the continuation or reoccurrence of dumping.

Editor: vivi