Stability in China and firm demand in most markets

Chinese prices have finally started to change direction, heading south this month, though lower supply and relatively firm demand (especially from the automotive sector) have prevented large falls. In fact, HRC export prices dropped by USD 10/t. Although small, the price decline was enough to influence other markets, such as Brazil and Russia. However, domestic
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OBOR and the railway infrastructure market

The One Belt, One Road (OBOR) is the Chinese government global initiative to connect China with rest of the world through roads, railways, ports and gas pipelines. With the enormous potential investment of $900 billion, the project was initiated in 2013 by the Chinese President Xi Jinping, and is considered the most massive overseas investment
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China’s impact continues around the world

China has proven once again that it has a global impact on the steel market. The recent surge in steel prices in China had a knock on effect on every corner of the world, including markets where demand fundamentals did not justify a price increase. In the past few years, the Chinese central government has
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One Belt, One Road — the main beneficiary

In 2013, China’s president, Xi Jinping, proposed the ’One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, to create the world’s largest platform for trade and economic development. The State Council authorised the plan in 2015 comprising two components, the silk road economic belt and the maritime silk road, creating a network of roads, railways and waterways. The
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CPEC is set to revive construction and infrastructure market in Pakistan

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is around 3,000 km long trade route from Pakistan’s Gwadar Port to Kashgar city in northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The route is comprised of a raft of mega construction and infrastructure projects set to be completed by 2030. The Chinese government promised to finance CPEC with $46 billion investment,
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The Chinese property market is set to be regulated further

It has now been almost a year since Shanghai introduced its most stringent policy to control the overheating property market. The boom in the property market has not been limited to Shanghai only but also observed across other major cities. Prices are still climbing at double digit growths across major cities but they have recently
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Implications of oil prices on the construction infrastructure in Saudi Arabia

Growing population pressure and falling oil prices have been forcing Saudi Arabia to diversify its economy and attract investment in non-oil related industries. This will require some huge investment in the country infrastructure. The government has already prepared a long term development plan called Vision 2030 which encompasses all major sectors including building infrastructure. A
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Behind the rising labour costs in the Chinese construction industry

The labour cost in the Chinese construction industry has been on the rise due to labour shortages across major cities. However, the wage rise has still not overcome the shortage issue. The average wage in the Shanghai construction market reached nearly RMB 7,000/month in the final quarter of 2016, and registered an increase of 5%
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Smart Packaging to Reduce Food Waste

Food waste is an environmental, social, and financial concern to the world but at the same time providing an opportunity for the packaging industry to develop smart packaging solutions. Around 25% of all food produced around the world ends up in landfills annually, implying that nearly 1.3 billion tonnes of food get wasted, Food and
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The Global Light Vehicle Market Outlook

The global conventional light vehicle market is expected to go through significant changes over the next ten years. In the backdrop of economic uncertainties, tougher emission standards, electric mobility and stiffening car ownership regulations, vehicles sales growth will remain restrained. Meanwhile, growth will also be shifting from matured markets to developing and emerging markets. Commodity
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