Tinplate Facing Substitution Threats in Japan

smm.cn: "Strong export sales to the rest of Asia are currently resulting in tight supply of tin mill products in Japan, but the domestic market in the current fiscal year (April 2010 – March 2011) is still expected to be about 10% lower than at the peak reached in 2007–2008. According to Japan Metal Bulletin, a recovery in demand for beverage cans and industrial containers in the last six months should be maintained, with some rise in sales for large general line paint and oil cans.

However recent rises in tinplate prices may result in an erosion of market share relative to competing products. Industry sources quoted by JMB said that some beverage makers are currently adopting aluminium cans and PET bottles instead of conventional steel cans for coffees.

Meanwhile confectionery makers may use paper packages instead of steel cans when they release new products"

Corrosion behaviour of tinplate cans in contact with tomato puree and protective (inhibiting) substances

Food Additives & Contaminants:: "The dissolution of iron and tin from tinplate cans filled with tomato pure (pH 4.34) and dioctyl sebacate oil (DOS), essential onion oil (EOO) or potassium nitrate was studied using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), while nitrate was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The maximum values found in cans were up to 284 mg kg-1 for tin and 513 mg kg-1 for iron at elevated storage temperature. Results indicated that the addition of EOO to tomato pure prevents the corrosion process in the case of tin, where concentrations were lowered from 223 to 28 mg kg-1 for cans with DOS oil and EOO at 20'C, respectively (inhibition rate of 87%)

Authors: A. Ninevi Grassino a; Z. Grabari a; A. Pezzani ; G. Squitieri ; G. Fasanaro ;M. Impembo

Affiliation: a Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

DOI: 10.1080/02652030903161580."

Packaging and the Environment survey 2010

packagingnews.co.uk: "Lightweighting, for instance, is top of the tree for both buyers and suppliers when it comes to improving the environmental performance of their packs - despite moves in, for instance, part two of the Courtauld Commitment away from weight as the key measure of sustainability.

The growing importance of carbon measurement in much of the discourse around packaging's environmental impact is also reflected in the results, with around a quarter more buyers and suppliers expecting to undertake carbon footprint measurements for their packaging over the next year than they did in the past 12 months.

Yet for all this, environmental credentials play second fiddle to cost considerations in driving changes to packaging. This would surprise few people in good economic times; it will surprise fewer given the recent recession. Our figures also show that in sales pitches, both suppliers and buyers are far more interested in price, quality and customer service than they are in sustainability credentials.

This may be a sign of the cost-conscious times in which we are living; or it suggests that packaging's environmental credentials are taken for granted. It could also reinforce what many sceptics on packaging reduction schemes have been saying for some time - that cost reduction and sustainability improvements often go hand in hand."

JFE increases tinplate capacity in Japan

The Canmaker: "Japan’s JFE Steel Corporation plans to start up a new tinplate line at its Fukuyama works in January 2011. The 17 billion yen (US$190m) investment will add 40,000 tonnes of tinplate production capacity a month.

JFE Holdings was formed in 2002 by the merger of NKK and Kawasaki Steel Corporation. The company has a total crude steel capacity of 30m tonnes, of which around 800,000 tonnes are tin mill products, with three tinplate and three tin-free steel lines in Japan."

Global canmaking market worth $102.8bn, says report

The Canmaker: "A recent report into the global metal packaging market claims to provide forecasts for the next decade, surveys current trends, reveals the market’s strengths and weaknesses, shows areas that will experience growth and present new business opportunities over the next ten years.
The Global Metal Packaging Market 2010-2020 from London-based Visiongain concludes that the value of the market will be worth US$102.8 billion in 2010.

The report – costing 1,499 (US$2,274) for a single user – is said to examine one of the most important and dynamic sectors of the global packaging industry at a time when the market is experiencing a significant shift.

The Visiongain website says the report also discusses how sustainability issues will impact the metal packaging industry, as many new innovations are likely to take place, providing significant new opportunities for manufacturers with the capacity to work on sustainable packaging projects."

Tinplate prices on the rise again

The Canmaker: "Canned product prices are expected to rise with recent increases in the cost of the tinplate used to make cans, says an executive with a Dubai-based canmaking company.

Talking to Arab News in Jeddah, Afroz Hadi, marketing manager at Arabian Can Industry (ACI), says tinplate prices could reach highs similar to those experienced in 2008.

Tinplate is currently selling at $1,400 to $1,500 per tonne, he said. In 2008, just before the start of the global financial crisis, prices increased in some markets from $900 to $1,900 per tonne.

“There are indications that this will touch the 2008 level of $1,900 in coming months,” Hadi said."

Soaring steel to make can food expensive

Arab News: "Canned food is going to be costlier in the near future because of the soaring steel prices globally, warns a packaging industry executive.

Food industry selling ready-to-eat items like luncheon meat, sausages and hotdogs as well as dairy products and legumes packed in tin cans aIt is going to effect even non-food items like pigments and auto lubricants. Afroz Hadi, marketing manager of Dubai-based Arabian Can Industry, says tin prices will also face similar price pressures because tin is used to coat steel to prevent corrosion.

Since the construction and automobile industries are rebounding after a two-year slump, tin will also become more expensive. Tin is currently selling at $1,400 to $1,500 per ton. In 2008, just before the start of the global financial crisis, steel prices peaked from $900 per ton to $1,900 per ton.

“There are indications that this will touch the 2008 level of $1,900 in coming months,” Hadi said.re watching the global trend with concern as tin is not only going to be costlier but also it may become scarce if steel prices continue to rise."