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La Farga Tub France, a new subsidiary of La Farga Group, the Spanish copper semis fabricator, commissioned a new distribution facility to supply France with the Group's 'La Farga Tub' copper products. The copper piping will be manufactured at the Les Masies de Voltregà plant and will be 100% recyclable and bacteria-free. The products' intended application areas include: Sanitation, refrigeration, climatization, medical and industrial use. La Farga estimates that the annual consumption of copper piping in France is 30,000t.

Nexans reported organic revenue growth of 0.6% to €1.75 billion ($2.3 billion) in all activities in the first quarter, down from 13% growth in the previous year. The group reported strong growth for the first quarter 2012 for copper cables in South America and fibre cables and components in Scandinavia and France. The company did not supply a specific figure for the telecom business, which is now grouped in the transmission, distribution and operators division. Nexans said its operating margin at 30th June should be around 3.5% as a result of competition in underground cables and delays in invoicing high voltage products. At the end of March 2012, net debt came to €566 million ($748.1 million) compared with €222 million ($293.4 million) at the end of December 2011. This increase can mainly be attributed to the acquisition of AmerCable, finalised on 29th February for an enterprise value of €211 million ($278.9 million).

PARIS (Reuters) - France may extend a system aimed at encouraging people to buy more fuel-efficient cars to products such as electronics, Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo told business daily Les Echos.

"Nine European countries have today signed a major agreement to develop the world's first large-scale offshore wind energy grid in the North and Irish seas, providing a boost to the continent's fast-expanding offshore wind industry. UK energy minister Lord Hunt joined with ministers from Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden and Ireland to sign the agreement on the sidelines of today's European Council meeting in Brussels."

Carrots are more appealing than sticks - and sometimes just as effective. That, at least, is the message that Europe's big telecoms operators have successfully delivered to European policy makers in Brussels. Late last week, Neelie Kroes, EU telecoms commissioner, backed down on her threat to make owners of old-style copper networks - the likes of France Telecom or Telefónica - lower the price at which they grant access to smaller rivals unless investment in high-speed fibre networks is stepped up. Instead, the Dutch politician, who estimates EU broadband investment needs at €270bn, promised regulatory "stability and consistency". True, she plans stricter rules to ensure equal access to networks. But for incumbent telcos, that is like being poked by a twig compared with the big baton of lower access charges.

General Cable reported a rise in sales volume by metal weight of 2% q-o-q (+5% y-o-y) in Q2 2012 due to demand in France and the Mediterranean as well as stable demand in most ROW and North American businesses. Bright spots for demand included: ongoing grid investment and the resultant demand for medium voltage cables in France; stronger demand from telephone and electric utility businesses in North America; improving domestic conditions following the Q3/4 2011 severe flooding in Thailand; and strong mining activity in Chile.

RUEIL-MALMAISON, FRANCE, August 15, 2008. Schneider Electric has signed a CAD 498 million definitive arrangement agreement with Xantrex Technology Inc for the acquisition of all common shares of Xantrex. Xantrex is said to be a top three global player in the solar and wind inverter market with strong growth potential. It also has a leadership position in the North America. Awaiting approval from Xantrex shareholders, the deal is expected to be closed by October 2008. Schneider Electric says it expects to realise significant synergies in acquiring Xantrex, leveraging the strengths of both companies. Xantrex provides experience in advanced power electronic technology for renewable energy, and dedicated solar and wind channel access. Schneider Electric boasts a wide international footprint with solution centres and leverage with APC in purchasing, technology and operations. Xantrex Chairman Mosaadiq Umedaly comments: "We think it is the best way to develop our business, taking advantage of our leading technology, products, market knowledge, and distribution channels together with Schneider Electric's global sales, service, supply chain, and solutions capabilities."

Nexans the leading cablemaker has won a contract from Almabani to supply special airfield lighting cables for King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The contract includes the supply of 1,500 km of 5kV easy-to-install and watertight primary cables to connect the power network to the lighting transformers located on runways that power the airfield lights. Deliveries of the cable manufactured at Nexans' Lyon, France plant, began in 2008 and continue in 2009.

"Jicable'15 - 9th International Conference on Insulated Power Cables From Sunday, June 21st to Thursday, June 25th 2015 PARIS - VERSAILLES - FRANCE"

Kentucky-based wire and cable manufacturer General Cable Corporation announced on 25th February an adjusted operating profit for the fourth quarter of 2012 of US$48.2M, down from US$ 75.4M in the third quarter. In an outlook for 2013 the company said they expect the first quarter of the year to be the weakest due to "specific factors in Europe and Mediterranean and ROW" although the company said it expects "sequentially better results in nearly all North American businesses." In 2013, the company expects a stronger performance from wire and cable used in the construction and utilities sectors in the US and the Rest of the World ex Europe. The company does not expect any improvement in its wirerod business in the US, but anticipates some pickup in wirerod sales in the Rest of the World ex Europe. The company highlighted in its report continuing weakness in Europe, but expects some improvement in 2013 with the outlook in France and the Mediterranean stabilising.

From Nexans' Q1 2012 financial report, we can infer that the European wirerod market was supported by a very strong automotive sector, driven by demand from German premium auto manufacturers, as well as increased infrastructure investment in France and Scandinavia, and a rebounding construction sector in Northern Europe. Demand in Southern Europe, meanwhile, continues to be subdued.

KME Group, a European producer of copper rolled products and tubes, announced that company revenues (excluding the cost of raw materials) declined by 11% y-o-y to reach €376M. KME mainly attributes the decline to weak macroeconomic conditions caused by the European sovereign debt crisis which began in H2 2011. Copper price volatility has also led to cautious buying of copper products. The company said that it experienced a continued downturn in sales within the industrial sector (approximately 75% of revenue) in Italy and Spain in H1 2012, while France held-up better. Sales contracted period-on-period and year-on-year in the brass rods segment and in rolled products for the construction market. In addition, shipments to domestic appliance and air conditioner manufacturers were stagnant y-o-y in H1. A bright spot was seen in sales of automotive and mechanical components as well as products associated with the electrical industry.

The Court of Justice of the European Union rejected both appeals against fines imposed by the European Commission in December 2003 and September 2004 upon KME Germany AG, KME France SAS and KME Italy S.p.A.. The fines related to the KME Group S.p.A. subsidiaries involvement in antitrust infringements within the industrial tubes and plumbing tubes markets. The fines, which amount to €39.8M and €67.1M, are now final. KME Group stated that the fine amounts were wholly provisioned in the profit and loss accounts of the 2003 fiscal year.

Nexans said it has been awarded contracts worth around €110 million ($113.2 million) by Libya's PEWCO (Public Electrical Works Company), to supply cables for projects to upgrade the country's power transmission and distribution infrastructure. The contracts involve the supply of over 1,000 km of high-voltage (HV) and low and medium-voltage (MV) cables. The transmission contract comprises 245 kV underground cables to be manufactured and supplied by Nexans, France and the 33 kV and 15 kV distribution cables and the optical fibre cables being supplied by Nexans Greece, with additional accessories being supplied by Nexans, Italy. Delivery and installation of the cable is expected to be complete by the end of 2013.