| TOP STORIES |
Sulfuric acid prices explode
Buyers are reporting a huge jump in sulfuric acid prices in Purchasingdata.com’s monthly survey and say tightening supply and increased demand from domestic and overseas markets is to blame. Read more>>
CMC: Scrap steel prices are up
Commercial Metals Co. said this week that prices for the scrap metals it sells were up significantly in the quarter ended Feb. 29. Read more>> |
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Analog prices will stabilize
Buyers can expect slight price reductions for analog chips this year despite strong unit demand as semiconductor suppliers focus on profitability instead of growing market share.
Read more>>
Brace for an increase in connector prices
Connector suppliers say it's likely that they will have to increase prices this year because of increased costs for precious metals and plastics. Read more>>
Vale says Xstrata deal “not a priority”
While market watchers wait for the outcome of Brazilian mining giant Vale’s attempted takeover of Swiss rival Xstrata, the CEO of Vale says “it's not something that's a priority for Vale.” Read more>>
Linerboard price hike flops
North American $50/ton containerboard price increase has failed to stick in March because of deteriorating demand for boxes, according to RISI, the forest products news service.
Read more>>
DOT: Mexican trucking program is working
At a speech in Colorado this week, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters said the pilot program allowing Mexican trucks to cross the U.S. borders...
Read more>>
Cut-size office paper prices hit record $1,100/ton
Cut-size office copier paper cost $1,000/net ton in March, a $60 increase, according to buyer surveys by Purchasingdata.com. Read more>>
SMIC to sell off a stake
Chinese semiconductor firm Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. revealed this week it was in talks with an investor to sell off a significant stake in its business.
Read more>>
World corrugated box demand to rise 25% by 2011
The International Corrugated Case Association projects that demand in the global corrugated market will increase by 41.6 billion square meters to 206.58 billion square meters in 2011... Read more>>
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MORE PRICE + SUPPLY NEWS
Construction slowdown cuts aluminum extrusion buys
The Aluminum Association says shipments of extruded products by U.S. and Canadian mills to domestic and foreign customers recorded a year-over-year decline of 15.7% to 3.95 billion lb in 2007. Read more>>
Steel imports have dropped 9% in 2008
Steel imports dropped 8.3% in February to 2.43 million net tons so that two-month imports of 5.07 million net tons are 9% lower than the offshore tonnage bought in the first two months of 2007. Read more>>
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 IBM leads the globalization charge
Many CPOs are under pressure to globalize their supply bases, but true globalization can be extremely difficult—and risky. In this Leaders in Procurement videocast, IBM Chief Procurement Officer John Paterson, who has relocated his procurement operation to China, discusses critical capabilities such as supplier discovery and development and both the process and IT infrastructures needed for supply chain management on a global scale. Click here to view the video.
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MONDAY MIDDAY BUSINESS REPORT
Watch the video in our new and improved player
>> Click here to watch the video
SPECIAL REPORTS
Purchasingdata.com Reports
>> Chemicals Flash Report
>> Quarterly Energy Flash Report
>> Quarterly Transaction Price Forecast
>> Monthly Steel Flash Report
>> Monthly Cold-Rolled Sheet Report & Forecast
For more price data and forecasts, visit www.purchasingdata.com.
Cessna looks to supply management to solve
big order backlog
With an order backlog exceeding $11 billion, Cessna Aircraft is counting on supply management to deliver sufficient capacity and top performance from its suppliers. In this Leaders in Procurement videocast, Don Beverlin, Cessna’s VP of Supply Management discusses the company’s strategy, which includes Six Sigma and deployment of the Textron Production System. Click here to view the video. |
COMMODITIES COUNCIL FORECAST PODCASTS
>> Click here to listen to all their views and their advice on what buyers should look for.
PURCHASING'S 2007 SALARY SURVEY
>> Click here for the results
>> Compare the new report to the 2006 Salary Survey
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
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