Nisshin Steel Keeps Shifting to High Value Items

Nisshin Steel tries to expand the sales for the strategic items of stainless, special steel and special coated steel products to 50% of total sales volume in fiscal 2008 ending March 2009. The firm revised up the target from 47% in fiscal 2008 under the 3-year plan. The firm decided the firm has to improve the products mix more aggressively to clear 80 billion yen of consolidated recurring profit in fiscal 2008 under the plan. The firm tries to expand the sales of strategic items from 43% in fiscal 2006. The firm will increase the sales for the original stainless product, DNA-SUS, special steel products including ZAM and high performance special steel items. DNA-SUS, in which chrome series products were main lineup, increased to around 35% of total sales of stainless steel, which reached the target in fiscal 2008, under surging nickel price. The firm tries to expand the item eyeing expansion of output capacity. ZAM sales are also firm and could exceed the target of 45,000 tonnes per month in fiscal 2008. The firm tries to expand the sales more by appealing the high performance. The firm tries to expand the sales of special steel items for automobile industry while the firm will finish the expansion plant in spring fiscal 2008.