Ugur Dalbeler, IREPAS chairman and CEO of Colakoglu Metalurji, told SteelOrbis at the SteelOrbis Fall '09 Conference and 61st IREPAS Meeting held in Dubai on October 18-19 that, during the committee meetings and his conversations with attendees at the event, he sensed that the pessimistic atmosphere has lifted to some extent and that everyone agreed nothing is to be gained by negative thinking.
Emphasizing the importance of focusing not only on price levels, but also on price margins, Mr. Dalbeler stated that production levels have been adjusted in respect to demand, as mentioned at previous IREPAS meetings, and that, with everyone having already suffered enough due to the crisis, the rebound in the markets has begun.
The IREPAS chairman stated that China, which accounted for 30-35 percent of global production and consumption in previous years, now accounts for almost 50 percent of both production and consumption worldwide, and thus its role is undeniable. In addition, he said that the presence of China in the markets can be advantageous or disadvantageous for other market players, in accordance with the decisions made by the central authorities in China. As an example, Dalbeler evoked the uncertainty of the markets in past years driven by material shortages due to the decision of the Chinese central government to limit exports. However, according to Dalbeler, due to their experience Turkish producers are good at taking position according to the market situation.
As regards the current situation in the Middle East, Mr. Dalbeler once again underlined the importance of positive thinking whatever happens. In this respect, he reflected that Dubai, which has a population of 1.5 million, has great potential with its consumption of 3-3.5 million metric tons of rebar per year. He also stated that developing economies, such as Iran and North Africa, where strong competition has been evident in past years, also have an important role to play. Furthermore, Mr. Dalbeler said that for the Turkish producers with their ability to quickly switch their output to any grade requirement, any market in the world is accessible as soon as a suitable climate appears.