ISRI CONVENTION: Back in the Market

The 2009 ISRI Annual Convention, which took place in late April in Las Vegas, provided a public forum for Chinese buyers and American sellers of nonferrous scrap to gather in one place and review the market situation.

The Recycling Metals Branch of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CMRA) hosted a session on what it called the “World Finance Affecting the Secondary Metals Industry.”

CMRA  Vice Secretary General Ma Hongchang stated that the nonferrous metals industry in China remains robust, with some 10,000 companies involved in nonferrous scrap processing in  that nation.

Although the second-half slowdown in 2008 caused China to import slightly less scrap compared to 2007, the nation still imported some 5.5 million tons of copper-bearing scrap and more than 2.1 million tons of aluminum scrap (an increase over the 2007 aluminum scrap volume.)

When the financial crisis hit, it was severe, Ma stressed. Some 70 percent of China’s copper production capacity was halted in the fall of 2008, he told attendees.

“This year the market is still in a weak state,” said Ma, but, “China’s industry shows an emerging recovery picture.”

CMRA Secretary General Wang Jiwei also commented that “there are a few improvements” in his nation. “China is appearing to bounce back with a fast recovery from the financial crisis.”

Wang also commented on the importance of the CMRA to communicate with ISRI and BIR (Bureau of International Recycling) to be part of the global recycling community and “to turn crisis into opportunity.”

ISRI’s Scott Horne remarked that ISRI and the CMRA have been “working together for about six years now . . . to facilitate trade. CMRA has been very helpful, and we appreciate that.”

He added, “We saw some trying times last fall; going forward,  we want to continue to have a good working  relationship.”

The 2009 ISRI Annual Convention took place April 26-30 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.