Housing market woes continue
As the U.S. economy struggles to decide if it’s going into a full-blown recession, the bad news for the housing market continues to pile up.
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DRAM prices to rise
After falling for months, the average price per megabyte of DRAM will rise by 2% in the second quarter, according to researcher iSuppli.
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Record tin prices are expected to cut demand
Tin is selling at record highs of around $11.16/lb and some analysts believe such price elevation will curb demand by the packaging and electronic industries and discourage the use of the silvery metal in new areas.  Read more>>

Economy grew 0.6% in first quarter
The U.S. Commerce Department said the economy grew at an annual rate of 0.6% in the first three months of the year, in an initial estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) for the quarter.  Read more>>

Copper use growing but rate is somewhat muted
Significantly lower growth in the use of refined copper by China and another year of declining consumption in the U.S., Japan and Europe are expected to result in a lower world use growth... Read more>>

Sales dip so GM cuts truck, SUV production
A dwindling U.S. auto market and an accelerating shift from light trucks to cars means that General Motors Corp. will cut assembly of full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles.  Read more>>

Sunoco will build coke plant in Granite City, Ill.
Sunoco’s Gateway Energy and Coke subsidiary will build a facility in Granite City, Ill., to supply metallurgical-grade coke and steam to the adjacent U.S. Steel steelmaking facility.  Read more>>

MONDAY MIDDAY BUSINESS REPORT 
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Aerospace companies team up to drive LEAN principles into their supply base Cessna Aircraft is looking to achieve competitive advantage through superior supply base management. In this Leaders in Procurement videocast, Don Beverlin, Cessna’s VP of Supply Management discusses the company’s participation in the Supplier Excellence Alliance, an aerospace industry initiative to create a proven process for deploying LEAN principles to improve supplier performance. Click here to view the video.

SPECIAL REPORTS
Purchasingdata.com Reports
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>> Monthly Steel Flash Report
>> Monthly Cold-Rolled Sheet Report & Forecast 
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Cessna supply management goes global Supply base globalization brings many challenges. In this Leaders in Procurement videocast, Don Beverlin, Cessna’s VP of Supply Management discusses the leading aerospace company’s globalization challenges – from understanding cultural differences, to recruiting in-country talent, to managing legal and regulatory compliance; also, Cessna’s globalization success stories in Poland, Mexico and China.  Click here to view the video.

COMMODITIES COUNCIL FORECAST PODCASTS
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PURCHASING'S 2007 SALARY SURVEY
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BLACK BELT NEGOTIATORS
>> True stories of business collaboration
Purchasing’s smartest negotiators move from conflict to collaboration fast. Match your wits against these pros. Guess their strategy. Then, read what they really did.

Are you a black belt negotiator? Tell us about one of your negotiation successes, and we’ll print it so others can learn from your experience. Send it to pteague@reedbusiness.com