China exports push Nippon Steel to seek growth in US, India after blocked deal
The HinduNippon Steel is poised to expand its operations in the U.S. and India as it hunts for growth and protection from cheap Chinese exports after its bid for U.S. Steel was blocked by the White House, analysts say. China, by far the world's largest steel producer, has flooded the market with near-decade high export volumes as its struggling property sector weighs on domestic demand, upending the global steel industry and leading Nippon Steel to invest more in raw materials and in production outside its home market. Nippon Steel, the world's fourth-largest steel producer, has a long-term plan of boosting crude steel production capacity to over 100 million metric tons a year from about 65 million tons at present and lifting profits toward 1 trillion yen a year from a 780 billion yen target in the financial year ending in March. "To be a 'truly' global steel producer, greater production capacity above current state is likely required," said Wood Mackenzie's Lundin. To narrow the gap, the joint venture, India's fourth-largest steelmaker, plans to increase steel production capacity to 15 million tons per year by the end of 2026 from 9 million tons annually now.