Dr. Heinz Jörg Fuhrmann - Schau Verlag Hamburg

trading trading
A fruit seller in a
busy Beijing street
S a l z g i t t e r i n t e r n a t i o n a l
“Demand in India is
set to increase”
Interview with Heinz Groschke, Executive
Board Member Trading at Salzgitter AG, about
the markets in Asia and the USA
stil What significance does Asia
have for Salzgitter Mannesmann
International?
heinz groschke The Asian markets
play a very significant role
for the Salzgitter Mannesmann
International group. For one thing,
we buy steel in Asia for the international
markets, particularly in
China, India and Malaysia. Moreover, we play
a part in developing business between different
Asian countries, as reflected in the cooperation
between our branches in China and Singapore.
Singapore is, for example, a base from which we
purchase steel products not only for sale on the
European markets but mainly for customers
in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam,Thailand and
the Philippines.
stil Which of the Asian countries are likely to
become increasingly important?
groschke The demand for steel, in India especially,
will increase in the coming years. Vietnam,
too, is developing outstandingly well. Naturally,
countries such as Korea and Japan are extremely
important in general terms, but not quite so
significant for our business at present.
stil Will the upswing in the region continue at the
pace we have become accustomed to – or do you
see any risks?
groschke I am convinced that the upswing will
continue, particularly in China, which has a
steel industry of its own. Steel products will
also continue to be exported, and I am confident
that we will have a stake in this export
business. Development in India has only just
begun, and it is highly likely that the pace will
increase.
stil What opportunities for development do you
see for the American steel and tubes market?
groschke We are currently witnessing an
exceptionally dynamic, but also healthy
development in the markets in general. This
also applies to the steel market, of course, even
if some significant sectors such as for example
the automobile industry are currently
suffering from structural weaknesses. The oil
and gas industry is particularly prominent
in the USA, where efforts are being made to
reduce the country’s dependence on imports.
As a result there is a lot of exploration going
on, which means that pipelines will be needed
for transportation and distribution. From my
perspective, this segment of the market is likely
to develop strongly in the next few years.
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