Posted on 31/01/2012 in category Non-Ferrous
BIR World Mirror on Non-Ferrous Metals - February 2012
In a better place than anyone else
If metals prices were the sole basis of assessment of the world’s various economies, one would think that we’re in for widespread economic euphoria, but the experts claim otherwise. The continuing crises that plagued the Euro-zone last year are still with us; the American economy is not improving despite the fact that 2012 is a Presidential Election year; and the Chinese government will temper growth in that economy to avoid creating bubbles. Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have spoken of lower GDP growth on a worldwide basis.
The good news for our industry is that there is good and substantial demand for our material. We have commodities providing a viable alternative to virgin materials that are far more expensive to source than what we have to offer. And while short-term economic dismay can cause interruptions to our success, our enduring ability to process used metals for recycling into new products places us in a better place in the supply chain of metallic raw materials than anyone.
Has there ever been a better time to be in the non-ferrous metals recycling sector?
Robert Stein
Alter Trading (USA)
President of the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division
3rd January 2012