Purchasing - June 18, 1998
BUYING ENERGY
Buying Energy
BUYLINES
Computers, Business Systems and Office Products
COVER STORY
Cover Story
Electronics Purchasing
HOTLINE
Hotline
HOTLINE Economy - Unexpected inventory accumulation drove up Commerce's estimate for first-quarter GDP growth
- As expected, the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged
- Economic confidence among CEOs continues to slide
- Federal Reserve officials appear to be hoping for a gentle waning of stock prices
- If you have yet to witness a big surge in cheap imports from troubled Asian nations, just wait
- New housing starts edged down 2.5% in March and another 2.3% in April
Markets - Some 2.1 billion lb of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe was used for water transmission in 1997
- Thermoplastic resins appear to have shaken off a midwinter slump
- Makers of steel, concrete, and other construction materials expect long-term demand gains
- The merger of Jefferson Smurfit's U.S. subsidiary and Stone Container will create a new firm
- Demand for off-road farm, construction, and commercial machinery is expected to remain healthy
- Building-supply retailers confirm reports from equipment makers that sales of kitchen and bath products are unexpectedly strong
- U.S. machine tool demand totaled $2 billion in first-quarter 1998
- General Motors has entered into a strategic alliance with Williams International
- CP Ships, the ocean-going unit of Canadian Pacific railroad, has bought Ivaran Lines
- Reynolds Metals expects "continued strong demand" for aluminum products to boost growth in North American ingot consumption
- Office Depot is buying Viking Office Products
- Japan's NKK Corp. will reorganize its semiconductor business
- Ball Corp. has bought most of Reynolds Metals' beverage can business
- Mail-Well Inc. of Englewood, Colo., has created a new general commercial printing division
- New low-emission vehicle laws in the U.S. are expected to reverse a recent decline in use of rhodium-bearing autocatalysts
Prices - In an effort to close a wide price gap between cut-size office paper and uncoated free-sheet
- Buyers can expect little change in crude oil prices
- Continued oversupply and competition from other materials has resulted in a 3(cent)/lb slide in ABS pricing
- International ore price settlements have increased by an average of 3% in 1998
- World tin prices will soon approach $6,400/metric ton
- The national average price of unleaded gasoline rose
- Current weakness in U.S. specialty steel pricing is not likely to end any time soon
- Global stainless steel prices will remain low for the next two years
- A seasonal surge in demand for single-serving bottles has helped to boost PET bottle resin prices by 3(cent)/lb
- At least one steelmaker wants a midsummer price hike of $25/ton on 1200-series, hot-rolled special bar quality (SBQ) grades
- The outlook is quickly fading for latest price increases on kraft linerboard and corrugating medium
- Mills want a 10% hike on box prices
- Paper mills have proposed a 5% July hike for coated groundwood grades
- A wood-pulp price hike is in trouble and spot tags could fall
- Producers, exporters, and brokers all expect more slippage in prices for natural rubber
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