Rasselstein escapes production cutbacks so far

Factiva: "Germany’s Rasselstein has so far remained unaffected by the wave of production cutbacks and short time working hours in the steel industry.

Germany’s only tinplate maker is “one of the operations that keeps running normally and is producing according to plan,” a spokesman for the company, which is a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Steel, tells Steel Business Briefing.

Rasselstein is thus an exception within ThyssenKrupp Steel, which several weeks ago announced that it would introduce short time working across the group.

“We did discuss short time working at some point prior to the [economic] crisis, and for totally different reasons,” the spokesman says. In European autumn, the company feared it could not produce to the projected capacity, as it anticipated shortages of hot rolled input material."

ArcelorMittal USA flat-rolling mills operating at 26% of capacity

Platts (New York): "Based on Hanson's table, titled 'What is happening at other plants,' the average operating rate for the 14-listed plants is 46%, but ArcelorMittal's four key flat-rolling mills -- East Chicago, Burns Harbor, Cleveland and Riverdale -- are operating at a combined 26% of capacity.

Hanson reports that both East Chicago West and East Chicago East are operating at 30% of capacity. He noted there are 1,400 workers at East Chicago West with 85 total layoffs and 33 employees working reduced hours.

Hanson reported that 105 employees have opted for retirement in 2009. In a footnote, the Union president said that 'the company states if orders do not improve by April 1, 2009,' another 115 workers will be laid off from its
hot-strip mill.

Spokespersons for ArcelorMittal USA chose not to respond to Hanson's facility-by-facility breakdown. Market sources indicated, however, that production cuts implemented by the steelmaker at the end of 2008 have helped reduce mill inventories. Like other steel producers in the US,
ArcelorMittal executives have their fingers crossed that Q1 will be the bottom of the market, and that once de-stocking is finished, there will be a technical pick-up."

Envirowise introduces online eco-design tool

packagingnews.co.uk: "Envirowise has launched an online tool to help businesses reduce the environmental impact of their packaging designs.

The packaging indicator tool for eco-design, which was piloted by Mars Snackfood, enables businesses to assess their packaging and compare different options using a small number of pre-defined environmental parameters.

Envirowise eco-design specialist Jenni Rosser said: 'Packaging has been challenged on environmental grounds for a number of years and the industry has responded, not only by putting significant resources into recycling schemes, but also by continuing to reduce the use of resources in packaging."

ArcelorMittal - 17% to 90% capacity at US Mills

Alliance Steel Trading: "Most of ArcelorMittal’s US steelmaking operations are running well below their capabilities, according to a United Steelworkers (USW) union document shown below.

The highest capacity is at Wierton where tinplate is the major product being produced.

Georgetown is producing wire rod only.

ArcelorMittal US operating levels
Source: USW document
Operating Level
East Chicago West
30%
East Chicago East
30%
Burns Harbor
35%
Cleveland
17%
Riverdale
18%
Coatesville
75%
Steelton
80%
Conshohocken
35%
Weirton
90%
Georgetown
40%"

Retailers fight back as media storm erupts over 'excess packaging'

packagingnews.co.uk: "Packaging has been caught in a media storm this week as supermarkets and the industry have responded to a report suggesting that not enough is being done to make packaging recyclable.

The Local Government Association's ‘War on Waste' report said that supermarkets should contribute more cash to recycling to avoid council tax rises to pay for landfill.

In statements and coverage on Tuesday (17 February) on the BBC, Sky News, ITV and in a number of newspapers, retailers and the industry have rubbished the report's methodology and its conclusion that supermarkets should be working harder to encourage recycling.

Asda director of corporate affairs Paul Kelly described the survey, in which packaging weight was compared on the same basket of 29 products bought at eight different stores, as 'fundamentally flawed'."

ThyssenKrupp Steel’s orders down by over a third

Steel Business Briefing: While orders from the automotive sector, construction, and other industries went down, heavy plate as well tinplate achieved higher sales and earnings. ...

Russian tinplate production cut

ITRI: "Russia’s only tinplate producer, Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK), cut its production by a third in the final quarter, in comparison with a cut of 47.5% year-on-year in output of all finished steel products and a 50% drop in crude steel production. MMK’s tinplate production in 2008 declined by 13% to 216,000 tonnes, while fourth quarter output was only 39,000 tonnes.

'Global economic conditions significantly impacted the demand for steel products in 2008. Increasing demand during the first nine months of the year was followed by a sharp decrease in the fourth quarter. As demand subsided, the company took the decision to cut steel output and optimize the product mix,' MMK said."