Metalnewsnet 5 Feb:

Despite challenges brought by overseas market demand severe shrinkage and rampant trade protectionism, Baosteel fully enhanced capacity of overseas marketing and sales and its annual overseas sales reached 1.7 million tonnes in 2009, No 1 in Chinese steel industry.

Percentages of top and unique products in total increased dramatically from 2008. Overseas market expansion through diversification by Baosteel received achievements that deserved recognition.

Mr Xu Lejiang Baosteel Group Corporation Chairman, Mr He Wenbo general manager, Mr Liu Zhanying Secretary of Party Discipline Supervision Committee, Mr Dai Zhihao vice general manager, Mr Zhou Zuping, Baoshan Iron & Steel Co Ltd general manager Mr Ma Guoqiang, vice general manager Mr Zhao Zhouli and executive deputy director of Baosteel Planning Committee Mr Li Haiping etc attended the meeting. Conference was hosted by vice general manager of the group company Mr Dai Zhihao.

During meeting, Planning & Development Department and Marketing Management Department made speeches titled building up Baosteel business platform and integral image in international arena and actively coping with challenges, fully enhancing capacity of overseas marketing and sales.

The reports stated, Baosteel had preliminarily accomplished overseas marketing and sales networking, resource platform building and diversification in over twenty years' time. Work teams of overseas strategic planning, research and resource investigation had been formed. To implement internationalized operation strategy through enhancing overseas system and organizing at global scale, integrating resources, building up industrial sharing platform and integral overseas image was important task of Baosteel. Representatives of overseas subsidiary companies, engineering and technology corporation, Baoxin Software, Baosteel Metals made speeches on respective overseas operational practice and next five-year plans.

On the meeting, Mr Liu Zhanying made special report on clean operation. Report made explanation for clean operation eight stipulations of state-owned enterprise leaders and pointed out, Baosteel overseas business leaders, as essential forces of internationalized operation should seek personal and career mutual development.

Mr Xu Lejiang, Mr He Wenbo etc mentioned in the conference, despite severe market dynamics, 1.7 million tonnes export was hard won. They said “Though total sales were lower than previous years, it indicated Baosteel edge and competitiveness in products, service and overseas subsidiaries. Baosteel should from long-term strategic perspectives design, ground and prepare ahead of time facing new market challenges. During overseas marketing and sales transition, Baosteel should stick to exporting products of high revenue and high profits, focus on high-end new product market expansion, while develop competitive advantages in logistics and resource management. New breakthrough efforts should be made in overseas processing and allocation centers, regional positioning, project execution, diversification in international market, resource exploitation, and internationalized talent fostering and talent pool construction.”