Tata Steel (Thailand) plans to start operation a news mini blast furnace in August 2009. The move could boost margins and growth.
Santi Charnkolrawee, President, TATA Steel (Thailand), said, "It planned to produce 1.1 million tonnes of steel bars in 2009."
The mini blast furnace, located in the eastern province of Chonburi, will have production capacity of 500,000 tons and will need investment of THB 3.8 billion. The furnace will produce high quality steel products for the auto sector and some its products would be supplied to the group.
TATA Steel (Thailand), formerly Millennium Steel, a unit of Siam Cement Group, has a total annual steel production capacity of 1.7 million tonnes. More than 10% of its products were exported, mostly to Southeast Asia, and the rest was for the domestic market, where demand was expected to contract by 17% in 2009.

Nippon Steel Corporation and JHE Holdings Inc each had pretax losses of about JPY 60 billion for the April to June period after buying raw materials high prices last fiscal year.
According to a report, Sumitomo Metal Industry Ltd and Kobe Steel Ltd also post pretax losses in excess of JPY 10 billion.

Hyundai Steel Co is in talks won its H beam exports at USD 650 per ton CNF for September 2009 shipments, with Southeast Asia and Middle East as main destinations.
With rising demand from the market, the company is in mind to raise its offer prices of H beam exports by USD 30 per ton to USD 50 per ton for September as compared with ones for August shipments. As a result, the company professes to avoid its H beam exports at prices below USD 650 per ton CNF this time.
Hyundai Steel is viewed as eager to negotiate for H beam exports to the Middle East besides Asian destinations. In the Middle East, inventory adjustments of H beams are said to be nearing their end. As a result, local steel distributors are reacting with moves to secure low cost H-beams from abroad, with a price level of USD 650 per ton CNF taking hold for H beam imports.
In Asian destinations, too, what Hyundai Steel requires on price in its H beam exports is said to be going through. Having a major impact are inactive H beam exports by China's various steelmakers favoring domestic shipments to meet increased demand in public works projects at home.
Meanwhile, Japan's integrated steelmakers are scheduled to start their H-beam export negotiations shortly on September shipments to Asian destinations such as South Korea. It is likely that they will seek a price level of USD 650 per ton CNF or beyond, given the current H beam market for export sales.

Tokyo Steel Mfg Co resumed operations of the 150 tons DC electric arc furnace since July 18th 2009 at the company's flagship Okayama works, ahead of the initially scheduled resumption in early August.
It may be noted that the 150 tons DC EAF was shut down after a May 16th 2009 explosion that broke out during its charging. Then, the company struggled to restore the steelmaking unit toward resumed operations in early August.

POSCO intends to mend the fourth-quarter production and sales plan. Originally POSCO planned that monthly output in the third quarter is 2.5 mln tons of steel products, and that in the fourth quarter is 2.6 mln tons.
It is predicted that POSCO's steel production in the third quarter may reach 7.5mln tons, but that of the fourth quarter will total more than 8mln tons. Because recent auto and household appliance industries get better, it is same as ship-making industry. And thereby, in the recent time, POSCO wants to make a new plan, to raise the yield and sales of steel products based on the previous plan.
In the first half year, POSCO succeeded completing the examination and repair to Gwangyang No. 1 Hot-rolling and Cold-rolling Company as well as Gwangyang HighMill. In July, Gwangyang No. 2 blast furnace resumed to be operated, and POSCO's steel production will obviously increase.
In the first half year, POSCO sold 13mln tons of steel products, in the second half year, to sell 15.1mln tons. The output of crude steel was 13.3mln tons in the first half year of 2009.

Japanese integrated steelmakers have recovered a price level of USD 500 per ton FOB in their HR coil exports to Taiwan in the wake of negotiated HR coil supplies to local steel re rollers for July and August shipments.
As a result, it is likely that the Japanese steelmakers will struggle to achieve a higher price level of USD 550 per ton FOB in their deals of HR coil exports to Taiwan for September shipments.
The Japanese steelmakers closed most of the deals at USD 450 per ton FOB in their HR coil exports to Taiwan for May and June shipments. For July and August shipments, the Japanese steelmakers have succeeded in winning a price increase of USD 50 per ton to USD 500 per ton FOB in negotiated deals with local customers.
Behind the successful Japanese price increase this time are the repercussions of a domestic price increase for HR coils by Taiwan's integrated steelmaker China Steel Corporation. CSC has priced up HR coils by TWD 1,727 per ton to TWD 16,822 per ton for July and August shipments. For July shipments, Taiwan's steel re roller Chung Hung Steel Co has raised its domestic sales price of HR coils by the equivalent of USD 73 per ton to what translates into USD 537 per ton.

Nucor Steel is working on its plan to reopen the North Star Steel facility south of town.
As per report, it has applied to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for a class II synthetic minor air quality permit.
According to ADEQ, the plant will take in steel bars from smelting plants, reheat them and shape them into the right size and thickness for the finished products. Nucor does not plan to restart the plant's melt shop.
Nucor bought the plant for USD 35 million in 2003 and announced plans in August 2008 to invest USD 30 million and reopen it by the second quarter of 2009.
According to a draft permit from ADEQ, the plant will have to monitor on a monthly basis the amount of emission put out by the plant's furnace, cooling towers and the amount of dissolved solids in the cooling water.

POSCO has announced to raise its export price for stainless steel cold rolled flat by about USD 150 to USD 200 per ton in response to high nickel costs and strong demands.
Meanwhile, it reported that its stainless steel exports during the second quarter increased to 308,000 tonnes by 27.8 percent QoQ as compared with the first quarter.
It also predicted that stainless steel price will remain high because of high nickel price and tight supply in ferrochrome.