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LE FIGARO. – ArcelorMittal escapes shortly after the first loss in its history. Are you satisfied with this performance?
Lakshmi Mittal. – No, although, given the circumstances, we are very far out. We achieved all our objectives of lowering costs, reducing debt, adjusting our production, and have negotiated with the various unions in the world … while 2009 was one of the most difficult years for thirty years the capitalist world. The crisis is not over. The recovery will be slow and gradual. But we managed to overcome the crisis successfully.
Using your production capacity from 50% in late 2008, to 70%. Do you anticipate this year?
Our production planning is based on the request of our customers. In 2009, only 10 of its 25 blast furnaces were in production. Now, twenty are active.There remain four or five who are temporarily stopped and restarted when demand recovers. At the end of 2010, our plants should operate at 85% of their capacity. The automotive market is expected to improve slightly over fourth quarter 2009 in Europe and strong growth in emerging countries. We organize days of innovation with our major customers. We present our new products, our development programs. They are still waiting for better products, steel both stronger and lighter, and more services.
How do you make 5 billion cost-cutting announced in 2012?
This total includes 5 billion of the savings already achieved (2.7 billion Editor's note). We have implemented many measures to improve our productivity.ArcelorMittal is a great company so we can make a "benchmark" in the group! We have implemented a continuous improvement plan which aims to save $ 30 (or 20 euros) per tonne of steel produced. There were hundreds of initiatives in this area. In 2009, we managed to save 13 euros per tonne. We still have to win 7 euros. At group level, it will represent an additional saving of 1.4 billion euros. And we can still reduce our administrative costs and expenses. This will include a specialization of production sites that could be devoted to one type of product payday advance . That does not mean that we will close …
… Or that you will continue to reduce your workforce?
The group has 35 000 employees less in 2009 than in 2008.We have plans in place starting in early retirement, voluntary severance schemes … We have nothing planned as of this year. We have just completed what was started. There is no excess production capacity in Europe. In China, yes.
You also talked about the resumption of investment.
Yes. We will resume mining projects and investment in developing countries, including Brazil. We do not expect to make further acquisitions in the steel. The cost would be higher than the expansion of existing capacity. We focus on the latter solution.
The introduction of carbon tax is a threat to your business in France?
We will be less competitive in Europe. We are in discussion with the French Government, to explain the impact of this tax on our costs.I met President Nicolas Sarkozy a few weeks ago. He says he wants a strong industry in France. We'll have to find solutions. European policy in terms of CO2 is already a burden for the European steel industry, compared to our competitors in China or India. This clearly represents an additional cost, difficult to quantify but very real. Finally, the carbon tax would be inconsistent with a strong industry. But both will have to coexist.
Chinese production of steel which starts again on the rise is a threat to your industry?
Last year, net exports of Chinese steel amounted to 10 million tonnes. This year, they should not exceed 25 million tonnes. First, because the Chinese domestic demand has picked up.Then, because Chinese steel production depends on imports of raw materials, making it less competitive for export. Finally, China mainly exported to South-Eastern Asia. Nevertheless, we are always attentive. If China's exports, it can make European prices down, it already happened before 2008. There is always a risk.
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It is a Mexican entrepreneur, owner of a chain of hotels in Cancun, which offers a Hublot watch at 700,000 euros. It is a couple of Singaporeans looking for a pied-à-terre in Paris, which is close to 10 million euros on the table for a 400 square meters overlooking the Seine. Or a Parisian lawyer who finally cracked in the Porsche 911 … The dreams of luxury customers are return guaranteed payday loans . After an abrupt end after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers followed by a year to land, rich of the planet reflected their platinum cards without false shame. The distribution in these days of record bonuses in finance in New York, London or Paris will only encourage fever after a year of dieting.
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Patrick Devedjian is satisfied. The Minister responsible for the Renewal announced Tuesday in a statement that the device scrapping bonus launched by the government in a period of turbulence in the automotive sector, has affected 600,000 new vehicles purchased in 2009, one quarter of 2.268 million cars sold in the year. In November last year already, Patrick Devedjian had advanced this figure, convinced that 220,000 premium originally budgeted by the government would be largely exceeded.
The minister welcomed a device that he says has helped make 2009 the best year since 1990 "in terms of number of new registrations, the latter have actually jumped from 10.7% a year.To the Minister of Recovery, that premium has to save between 24,000 and 33,000 jobs in the automotive industry.
The French builders big winners
The scrapping bonus has mainly benefited the smaller vehicles that consume less fuel than the others. What are the French manufacturers, entrenched in this segment are the big winners of the device. They account for nearly 60% of premiums distributed.
Citroën and 122,618 vehicles passed through the scrap bonus, closely followed by Renault (115 business card .311) And Peugeot (101,516). Dacia Group Renault (32,344) and Ford (30,908) lagged far behind, according to figures provided by the department.
Manage post premium
"The scrapping bonus has achieved all its objectives in 2009, welcomed the minister. But it said that the hardest part is yet to come.He will now have to "deal effectively" lower the amount of the premium, which began in 2010. Since 1 January, the premium case is indeed back 1,000 euros to 700 euros. It should gradually decline in the rest of the year to 500 euros on 1 July.
But manufacturers are not yet ready to release the magnet to customers. To mitigate the cuts, nearly all manufacturers provided discounts. Renault has announced it will add 300 euros compensation until the end of February. Citroën offers 700 euro for cars over 10 years and 1,500 euros for those aged 8 to 10 years.Peugeot offers even in the context of his "very, very nice business, doubling the amount of the premium for the current increase to 1,400 euros.
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Expenses related to health care, absenteeism, business closures and premature death: the National Institute for Research and Safety and the School of Arts and Crafts feel that the cost of stress at work has reached 1.9 to 3 billion euros in France in 2007. "An evaluation minimum, the study did not take into account only one stressor," the combination of strong pressure on (the tasks performed at rapid rates and subject to deadlines) and a lack of autonomy in carrying out the work. " This would represent a third of cases of stress, excluding for example the lack of support or recognition. Moreover, only cardiovascular disease, depression and musculo-skeletal disorders have been identified as diseases resulting from stress.
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The consumption of manufactured goods rose more households in November. After an increase of 2.3% in September and 1% in October, the index has shown quasi-stable -0, 1%, according to figures from INSEE.
Despite this slowdown, "the last quarter will be exceptional," states Dominique Barbet, economist at BNP Paribas. "Already, we can build on 2.3% growth in consumption from October to December, the biggest increase in ten years."
The November figure was supported by strong buying automobiles rose 4.2%. "The household benefit last months of premium breaks down before his scheduled first next January, said Insee.
"Contrary to what one might fear, the car sales have not cannibalized other items of household expenditure," says economist of BNP Paribas.Other sectors, they fell for some, have not fallen sharply.
Spending on equipment housing is growing even if they slow down to 0.2%, against 2.1% in October. "If they keep their spending in electrical and electronic, are households have reduced their spending on furniture," said INSEE.
However, the week of floating balances authorized in November did not save the textiles and leather. Purchases fell 1.8% in November, two months after dynamic (+2.4% in October and 3% in September). Probably because of mild weather that has not prompted the French to equip themselves for the winter.
Limited impact of unemployment
In 2009, INSEE expects a limited increase in consumption of 0.7%, after 0.9% in 2008."Unemployment has not been in France very negative impact on consumption, unlike what happened in other European countries, thanks to measures directed at low income," notes Dominique Barbet.
Consumption is the traditional engine of French growth and growing at a rate of 2 to 2.5% until 2007.
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The new center-right government led by Angela Merkel won this Friday's first showdown managing to impose a package of tax breaks very controversial. After leading the revolt against the camps, the regional states Conservatives have finally adopted the plan to "stimulate growth" in the Bundesrat, the upper house of Parliament, by voting the 8.5 billion tax cuts promised by the Chancellor . These measures, intended to provide a boost to growth, will take effect from 1 January 2010.
The law includes an increase in family allowances, relief of estate costs and lower tax rates on value added tax (VAT) in hotels. The Chancellor and his ministers have negotiated hard these days to convince the heads of recalcitrant regional government by promising billions of euros in compensation.Including Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, whose finances are particularly vulnerable by reducing taxes.
Reticence of "wise"
Failure before the Upper House would have been a blow to the government, in place since late October, and whose beginnings have been chaotic, marked by infighting and controversy. The Minister President of Hesse, Roland Koch (CDU) has welcomed this "step in the right direction.""This is an important signal showing that the Länder black-yellow (conservative liberals) support the federal government black-yellow," he said.
The government of Angela Merkel has also exceeded the reluctance of the Court of Auditors and "wise", the government's economic advisers, and many economists, who consider irresponsible to offer tax breaks while Germany plans to contract a debt record 100 million euros in 2010. They also believe that these tax incentives will not impact on growth.
In its coalition agreement the Liberal-Conservative government of Merkel provides additional tax cuts of around 24 billion euros in 2011. Roland Koch prognostic already "talks tough and violent," to take the next tax cuts.
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China moves away from deflation. With a rise in the index of consumer prices for the first time since January (0.6% in November, a year), the figures published by the National Bureau of Statistics announced the end of a deflationary movement, or at least its slowdown. Of the first eleven months of the year, the index remains in negative territory -0.9%.
This index, which goes into the green could bring the Chinese government economists to rethink the current monetary policy is highly flexible to support the recovery.
Industrial production for its share jumped 19.2% yoy in November, after rising 16.1% in October.Jing Ulrich of JPMorgan said that "industrial activity will continue to grow thanks to strong domestic demand and improving exports.
With 19.09 billion dollars more in November, the trade surplus since the beginning of the year totaled 177.96 billion. Regarding investment in fixed assets in urban China, they rose 32.1% year on year between January and November, against 26.8% over the same period of 2008, according to NBS figures.
In November 2008, before the Chinese government launched an ambitious plan to revive the economy on some 400 billion euros of expenditure, particularly in large infrastructure projects.For many economists, the recovery of activity, coupled with rising exports and strong growth in Chinese gross domestic product in 2009, could lead to an appreciation of the yuan in 2010.
"China is emerging OECD recession
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