Jun 10 2010
Josh Spoores, Market Research Manager at Majestic Steel USA, has been selected to appear on a panel at the Latin American Iron & Steel Trends conference taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 19-21.
Spoores will be part of the “Demand Drivers – What steel consumers are looking for” panel that includes Sergio Machado, president of PetrobrasTransporte in Brazil; Dongwei Chen, deputy general manager of Sinosteel Futures in China; and Paul Scott, managing consultant of the CRU Steel Business Unit in the United Kingdom. Spoores, the only speaker from an American company at the conference, will talk about “Why the United States needs to understand the Brazilian steel market.”
“Steel is a major component in the global economy and what is taking place in one area of the world has an impact on the rest of the world,” said Josh Spoores, Market Research Manager at Majestic Steel USA. “From the sourcing and cost of raw materials to what changes in Latin American demand might do to pricing on the domestic market, companies that make steel and use steel need to have an understanding of the international market.”
The CRU Group, which organized the Latin American Iron & Steel Trends conference, invited Spoores to speak because he has closely watched the steel market for Majestic Steel USA for the last five years and recently launched The Spoores Report, a newsletter that monitors industry trends.
The Spoores Report measures a number of key factors, including raw material pricing, domestic steel production, import levels, industry demand and economic conditions to provide steel buyers with a detailed overview of the direction of the steel market.
“Demand for steel will increase as the economy recovers, but just like the recovery the uptick in steel orders will be uneven around the globe,” said Spoores. “Additionally, when you look at Latin American markets and Brazil in particular, you have factors such as preserving the rainforest and labor practices that come into play as customers closely monitor the environmental and social impact they have on the world.”