South Africa to increase steel exports
South Africa's steel producers and steel construction industry associations are planning to increase the country's steel exports. As previously reported by SteelOrbis, the weak local demand forces South African producers to focuse on exports. Accordingly, the South African Institute of Steel Construction and International Fabricators Council are going to merge in order to increase exports to 100'000 tons per year by 2008 compared to estimated 20'000 tons of this year. This decision is in parallel with government’s purpose of increasing exports of value added products. The fabricators' council has been established a few years ago in order to lead the structural steel producers in South Africa. Council members have a total capacity of over 10'000 tons per month and a total turnover of $4 billion per year.