Purchasing - March 26, 1998
Buylines
BUYLINES
Computers, Business Systems and Office Products
COVER STORY
Electronics Purchasing
HOTLINE - Transaction Prices
- Where should you look for more price declines?
- Count on prime rate holding just about where it is--8.5%
- Don't look for reforms at osha this year
- Attention MRO buyers: If you're searching for a place to trim costs, a good spot to look is lubricating oils and greases
- Anticipate more price increases on packaging prices
- On the other hand, prices for uncoated bags have probably been run up too far--too fast
- Be prepared for higher glass container prices in the months ahead
- You don't need a law degree!
- Count on some relief on plastic bottle and plastic sheet prices
- Don't be surprised to see weak Asian markets and lower domestic growth projections to alter paperboard demand and prices substantially
- Have plastic resin prices dropped too far?
- Mark your calendar for New England Suppliers Institute "Total Cost Reduction Conference '98,"
- Be alert for more trucking delays on traffic moving across the border from Mexico
- Keep your finger on office vacancy rates
- Don't be too surprised to see a flurry of activity from the Transportation Dept. over airline passenger rates
- Expect Asian financial crisis to keep lid on low memory prices
- Look for continued drop in prices on masked ROMs
- Check out new IBM microprocessor that operates at 1 billion cycles per second (1000 megahertz)
- Check out new IBM microprocessor that operates at 1 billion cycles per second (1000 megahertz)
- AMD is looking to IBM for help in manufacturing its K6 processors
- Don't expect much seasonal push in lumber prices this year
Economy - Outlook for 1998 production worker wage inflation
- Some analysts had feared a sharp influx of low-priced commodity imports
- Commerce revised downward its estimate of economic growth
- Room for a boom in consumer spending?
- On-time index resumes downtrend
- On-time index resumes downtrend
Markets - Zemex Industrial Minerals has been created
- Willamette Industries will build a new laminated veneer lumber line
- World butyl rubber supply could get dicey next decade
- Chrysler will re-enter the natural-gas vehicle market this autumn
- The world prefers U.S. personal computers
- The global management-consulting business will grow 56% to $114 billion by the year 2000
- The worldwide motor vehicle interiors market is expected to reach $54 billion
- Shipments of heavy trucks in the U.S. and Canada will rise to 220,000 units
- Superalloys leadtimes will soon stretch to six months due to
- World sales of sports-utility vehicles skidded in 1997, falling
- Arco is completing a debottlenecking project at its butandediol plant
- The U.S. telephone-equipment market will grow at an annual rate of 11%
- Praxair Surface Technologies is expanding into metal finishing
- Samsung abandons forklift trucks
- Housing market experiences back-to-back highs for the decade
- U.S. shipments of steel mill products rose 4.6% in 1997 to 105.5 million tons
- Machine-tool demand totaled $8.6 billion in 1997
- New number one in oil-field services
- AlliedSignal rearranges its fibers unit
Prices - Led by Cerro Copper Products, most copper plumbing tube firms are looking for a 5% price hike
- Several domestic aluminum firms plan to increase April shipment prices
- Ferroalloys market watchers say there is still too much high-carbon and medium-carbon ferromanganese chasing too few consumers
- Ansonia Brass & Copper is looking to raise fabrication charges on rod, wire, and extruded shapes
- Air fares between the U.S. and Japan should fall quickly
- Metallurgical Products of West Chester, Pa., is increasing prices for 15% phosphor copper shot and waffle
- More copper analysts go bearish:
- Pulp prices are rapidly approaching a bottom in North America
- Tight supplies could boost copper-rod premiums again in April
- Carbon and alloy steelmakers have achieved mixed results on their latest flat-rolled price hike
- Armco on specialty steel: demand up, prices flat
- Zinc bear awakens in London
- Calcium chloride tags are softening
- Solid demand has slowed deflation of chemical cellulose, but any recovery will fall shy of 1996 levels
- Sodium bicarbonate (industrial grade) prices will remain at an average 17(cent)/lb
- Sodium nitrite prices are under pressure
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