Much of the volatility in the cable market is tied to the raw material costs on the supply side. As a result, the pricing trends of cables and wires are not entirely driven by market demand. The market is also far from being homogenous, with the end user profiles ranging from wholesale purchasers, telecom operators, retail users, utility managers, power supply companies as well as enterprises. The leverage enjoyed by the buyers is by and large directly proportional to their off take and inversely proportional to the criticality of cables and wires to their operations.
While the technology behind cables has remained consistent, it has not stayed static. As with most applied sciences, cables have witnessed a relentless stakeholder drive towards achieving better transmission with lesser resources. This has led to improvement and improvisations in the core conductor as well as its assembly technologies.
William Pratt on 15 Sep 08In late August, Furukawa Electric announced they would be raising prices for enamelled wire as they try to offset the rising cost of energy and varnish, particularly for polyvinal formal enamelled copper wire (PVF). According to Furukawa varnish and energy costs have increased 40% and 80% respectively since fiscal 2004. Sumitomo Electric, Hitachi Cable, Unimac and Totoku Electric have all also announced that they are either negotiating price rises on future shipments or conducting studies into a price increase. However, slowing demand for electric wire and electronic parts may make any further price hikes difficult. An industry source commented that, "makers could only get a higher price for PVF."
