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According to a February survey from the Shanghai Metals Market, the operating rate at 21 major Chinese electrical wire and cable makers fell to 48.5%, a 21 percentage point fall from January. The drop in utilisation rate was the result of the Chinese New Year celebrations which fell in February this year. Operating rates are expected to rebound in March as cable makers increase production to fill contracts from China's State Grid Corporation. The survey also revealed that raw materials stocks rose by 15.3 percentage points in February to 49.8% of production in February.

South Korean makers of brass bars are increasing their profitability on export front this year, riding a gradual rise in their overseas sales, unlike last year when they suffered severe deterioration

As China's economic lifeline, the iron and steel industry used to be a black smoke maker and blue-sky killer in the eyes of many people. In 2007, SO2 emissions by China's large and medium-sized steel and iron enterprises were estimated at 756,368 tons, down 0.51 percent year-on-year. And the discharge of industrial coal ash was 382,275 tons with a 2.79 percent decline. Otherwise, soot discharges increased 3.02 percent, totaling 156,648 tons. The Long March of environmental protection and energy efficiency for China's steel and iron enterprises is still challenging, though many in the iron and steel industry have launched a green revolution in order to improve their old image. Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corp (WISCO) is one such environmental protection warrior. As China's thrid largest steel and iron manufacturer, WISCO used to be a major polluter in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province. Many residents complained and criticized the firm, joking that sparrows would turn black after flying over WISCO's mills.

Electrodeposited copper foil manufacturers in Japan are to increase purchasing of copper scrap in May. Some dealers have already agreed to supply the increased quantity, however, scrap generation remains low due to the ongoing industrial and building construction slowdown. It has been reported that since the beginning of the year, Japanese copper foil makers have cut their copper scrap procurement by 50%. According to the new plans, copper foil producers intend to double copper scrap buying compared to January-April.

One of the biggest renewable energy manufacturers in Britain announced on Tuesday it is to cut more than half its UK jobs - blaming the government for failing to support the sector. In a grave blow to the government's ambitions to create a "green" export industry, Vestas, the world's biggest maker of wind turbines, will axe about 600 of its 1,100 UK employees, probably closing its factory in the Isle of Wight and cutting jobs elsewhere in the UK.

Five of the major Japanese electric wire makers, (Furukawa Electric, Hitachi Cable, Fujikura, SWCC Showa Holdings, Mitsubishi Cable Industries Ltd.) have all posted consolidated recurring losses in their business results for FY2008 ended March 2009. All except Sumitomo Electric Industries, which reported lower sales, posted losses due to the dramatic fall in copper price during H2 2008 as well as the downturn in the automotive industry. Their copper inventory valuation losses have reduced their profits significantly. Sluggish demand is reported across a range of automobile related products including copper strip for connectors, winding wire and wiring harness.

Prysmian said that if it proceeds with the takeover of Draka, it has no plan to dual-list its shares in Amsterdam. The Italian cable maker aims to take full control of Draka and de-list the Dutch company. Prysmian also commented that a return of Chinese Xinmao is highly improbable and expects that no other cable maker will make a bid as it is very late in the process.

"Let's have a look at the top 10 car maker groups by sales volume in 2014."

According to data from the Japanese Wire and Cable Makers' Association, shipments from Japanese wire and cable producers declined 0.8% y-o-y in October, taking total shipments to 60,000t. Japanese wire and cable manufacturers have been seeking to boost sales overseas and outside of traditional telecoms and power sectors. Last week, Furukawa Electric announced plans to invest in infrastructure to generate more sales in the auto industry, while Hitachi Cable announced a tie-up with sister company Hitachi Metals and a greater focus on export markets in a bid to restructure and boost sales.

LS Cable & Systems, the world's third largest manufacturer of wire and cable, reaffirmed on 23rd November that it is seeking to become the world's largest wire and cable manufacturer by 2020, and that it is targeting the value-added cable market in India as part of its strategy. The company, which according to chief executive officer Koo Cha-yol "has 33 manufacturing firms, 64 operational bases and four research centers in 26 countries," generates 60% of its sales abroad. LS Cables & Systems has been expanding these overseas sales through acquisitions, in recent years buying American cable maker Magnet Wire in 2008, and Chinese cable maker Hongchi in 2011, giving it access to the world's largest markets.

According to a press release from the Japanese wire and cable makers association, shipments of wire and cable from Japanese factories increased by 3.1% y-o-y in November.

Nexans, the large French wire and cable maker, announced on 7th February that its full year operating revenues, at constant non-ferrous metals prices, increased by 6% to EUR4.87B (USD6.60B). However, the company noted that acquisitions were responsible for the increased revenues and organic sales growth was roughly flat compared to 2011. Nexans reported mixed revenue growth by sector, with the group's Industrial Cables unit and the Distributors and Transformers unit showing organic sales growth, whilst the Nexans reported contraction in its Power Transmission and Utilities and Operators businesses. In the Industrial Cables unit, high double-digit growth was noted in the demand automotive wiring harnesses, with the company highlighting its strong position with German autos companies as a decisive factor. The company also noted strong growth in supplying cables to the oil industry and the aeronautical industry. Weak European growth was noted in Nexan's Automation and Capital goods business, as well as in the railways sector, with Nexans noting that they expect railway investment to pick up in China in H2 2013.

A new era for commodities Cheap resources underpinned economic growth for much of the 20th century. The 21st will be different. NOVEMBER 2011 * Richard Dobbs, Jeremy Oppenheim, and Fraser Thompson Source: McKinsey Global Institute, Sustainability & Resource Productivity Practice In This Article Exhibit: In little more than a decade, soaring commodity prices have erased a century of steady declines. About the authors Comments (2) Has the global economy entered an era of persistently high, volatile commodity prices? Our research shows that during the past eight years alone, they have undone the decline of the previous century, rising to levels not seen since the early 1900s (exhibit). In addition, volatility is now greater than at any time since the oil-shocked 1970s because commodity prices increasingly move in lockstep. Our analysis suggests that they will remain high and volatile for at least the next 20 years if current trends hold-barring a major macroeconomic shock-as global resource markets oscillate in response to surging global demand and inelastic supplies. Back to top Demand for energy, food, metals, and water should rise inexorably as three billion new middle-class consumers emerge in the next two decades.1 The global car fleet, for example, is expected almost to double, to 1.7 billion, by 2030. In India, we expect calorie intake per person to rise by 20 percent during that period, while per capita meat consumption in China could increase by 60 percent, to 80 kilograms (176 pounds) a year. Demand for urban infrastructure also will soar. China, for example, could annually add floor space totaling 2.5 times the entire residential and commercial square footage of the city of Chicago, while India could add floor space equal to another Chicago every year. Such dramatic growth in demand for commodities actually isn't unusual. Similar factors were at play throughout the 20th century as the planet's population tripled and demand for various resource

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.

South Korean makers of copper pipes, who are continuously implementing a policy to intensively promote their exports due to the weak demand for the products in the domestic market, renewed the annual record high for third straight year in 2013