The global economic crisis has hit world steel markets hard, but the market for merchant slab has been hit harder than most.

The order books of steel mills have been decimated by a collapse in real demand and frantic destocking is occurring throughout the supply chain. Prices, meanwhile, have collapsed, having fallen by over 70% between mid-2008 and early 2009. CRU expect the merchant slab market to see a recovery; however, in the near term the outlook is decidedly weak.

The Global Market Service for Slab will address these issues as well as answering the following questions:

• How deep will the downturn be?  How long before a recovery?
• What are the prospects for mills that rely on the merchant slab market, either as a supplier or a buyer?
• Is there still a need for greenfield expansions to merchant slab capacity?
• Why has the merchant slab market tended to show more volatility than flat-rolled markets?  Is this likely to continue?
• What impact has consolidation had on the market for merchant slab?
• How big is the merchant slab market and who are the major players?  How will this change in the coming years?

Discover how the answers to all these questions will affect your business.

Comprehensive and detailed coverage
The 2009 edition of this service is revolutionary in its analysis of slab. It fully utilises CRU's brand new Steel Platform, which we believe to be the most advanced and robust steel information system in the industry. The service has been researched by CRU's most senior steel analysts, who have examined merchant slab market participants largely on a company-by-company, and in most cases, plant-by-plant basis. 

As such, the service presents a comprehensive and robust analysis.  It provides forecast to 2013 of demand, supply and trade in both the total slab, and the merchant slab markets, with an indication of these metrics as far as 2018. Principal merchant market players are clearly identified and the extent of their current and future participation in the market is quantified. The service also includes an in-depth analysis of merchant slab prices in all key regions, with forecasts of these prices through to 2018.

Quarterly updates
As a subscriber to the Global Market Service for Slab you will receive two comprehensive reports (published in March and September).  In addition, updates will be sent for the interim quarters (in June and December) containing our latest views on market developments and prices. 

Online access
CRU’s password protected online service offers you unlimited access to downloadable files of the report and the statistical data contained in chapters and appendices.  As each new update is posted to the site, previous editions are archived, building into your own historical database.