ANNUAL REPORT ARCELOR 2003 - paperJam

3. THE SECTOR’S PRODUCTS ANDMARKETSRolled long products are used principally in theconstruction, infrastructure and capital equipmentmarkets. Drawn-wire products have a number of uses:tyre manufacture (steelcord), agriculture (vine wires,enclosures), industry (galvanised wires for cablesheathing) and construction (fibres). The long anddrawn-wire products market is buoyant, albeit verycompetitive, linked to the emergence in the constructionmarket of new environmental, aesthetic, architecturaland economic requirements.3.1. Rolled productsThese products accounted for 76% of the sector’sshipments in 2003. This family of products includeslightweight and medium-weight beams, merchantsteels and concrete reinforcing bars. The market iseither local or regional in the broad sense, dependingon the products. The Long Carbon Steel sector has astrong presence through a powerful sales network inboth key and export markets. The principal geographicmarkets for the European plants are France, the Beneluxcountries, Germany and the Iberian peninsula. Outputof commodity products from the South American plantsis primarily destined for the domestic markets.The rolled long products manufactured in the Europeanplants of the Long Carbon Steel sector are marketedin Europe through the Arcelor Long Commercial S.A.distribution network.In export markets, Arcelor Long Commercial has entrustedthe sale of its products to the Arcelor International salesteams and to its preferred partners.3.2. Drawn-wire productsThe technical products for global customers includewire rod for special applications, particularly steelcordupstream and drawn steelcord downstream. The sectoroffers its technical know-how to customers in a spiritof partnership to meet their specific needs. The drawnwirebusiness has its own sales organisations for eachof its three activities – steelcord, low-carbon steel andhigh-carbon steel.The Americas business unit has a sales organisationthat is integrated with its operating activities.The significant stake in Acindar in Argentina (productionof wire rod, tubes, drawn wire and bar products) strengthensthe industrial and commercial position of LongCarbon Steels in South America.The speciality products consist of sheet piling, heavybeams, special sections and rails. These high addedvalueproducts are marketed worldwide, backed by areliable logistics system and competent technical/commercial teams at local, regional and internationallevels. The Long Carbon Steels policy in these marketsis to maintain its technological lead in processes andto anticipate customer needs through continuous innovationand product development.48ANNUAL REPORT ARCELOR 2003