Nippon Steel to Build CH Wire JV in Thailand

Nippon Steel announced on Monday the firm builds joint venture to make steel wire for cold heading in Thailand starting operation in July 2007. The firm tries to serve for expanding local transplants of Japanese automakers. The firm decided the investment after study through Nippon Steel Bar & CH Wire (NBC), which the firm established in August 2005 to plan offshore operation for special steel bar and wire rod processing. NBC’s 4 members of Nippon Steel, Matsubishi Metal Industry, Miyazaki Seiko and Sanyu and Toyota Tsusho, Metal One and Suzutoyo Seiko will join the new venture. The venture is another CH wire making venture for Nippon Steel after the plant in Suzhou, China. They will establish Nippon Steel Bar & CH Wire (Thailand) in December. Nippon Steel has 28% interest in the venture with 230 million bahts with 14% share by Matsubishi Metal Industry, with 14% by Miyazaki Seiko, with 14% by Sanyu, with 12% by Toyota Tsusho, with 10% by Metal One and with 8% by Suzutoyo Seiko. Nippon Steel group sends president for the firm while Miyazaki Seiko sends technical manager and Matsubishi Metal Industry sends managers for marketing and general affairs. They start the operation in July 2007 after they build plant with 3-4 wiredrawing machines, pickling and heat treating equipments on land in Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, Rayong, which is southeast of Bangkok, for 1.85 billion yen. They have plan to expand up to 6 drawing machines depending on the demand targeting annual 40,000 tonnes of output with more than 100 of employees after 2010. Japanese automakers’ transplants are expected to increase the automobile output to 1.8 million units after 2010 from 1.15 million units in 2005. The demand for automotive fasteners including bolt and nut is estimated to be around 60,000 tonnes in 2005.