Page 56 - ITAtube Journal 2 2022

Review
ITA Tube Conference 2023
Opportunities for the Tube Industry in turbulent times
TUBE CONFERENCE
International Tube Association
DÜSSELDORF 11May 2023 CCD SOUTH Messe Düsseldorf
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ITA held the biannual tube conference on May 11th and 12th 2023 in Düsseldorf, Germany. The conference was personally and remotely attended by internation-
al experts contributing to the excellent, informative exchange. The format was split into thematical sessions allowing speakers to present their paper followed by panel discussions related to the theme.
ITA officers with extensive experience and expertise guided through the sessions to make up for a satisfying experience.
Welcome and market session:
Steel tubes are a building block for eco- nomic development and their consumption depends on the economy’s strength. Some regional bright spots, such as the USA and India, dominate tube demand. Apart from these regions, the macroeconomic picture does not give much cause for optimism for growth in 2023.
This was reflected in the three papers given in this session
- Macroeconomic and international Tube
and Pipe market outlook by Dr. Gunther
Voswinckel; ITA president
- Carbon reduced tubes by Frank Harms,
general manager German steel tube asso-
ciation
- Hot rolled coil market by Emanuele Norsa,
editor Kallanish commodities
Such papers reflected and underlined the dependence of the tube and pipe market on local conditions like energy prices, sanc- tions, etc.
OCTG sessions
OCTG products are still the key driver for the tube industry, which accounts for around 51% of global tube production. Af- ter the corona crisis, industrial production picked up, leading to a sharp increase in energy consumption since 2021, so supply could hardly meet demand. Second, geo- political sanctions led to a massive drop in Russian production, resulting in speculative price increases. The corona shutdown in
Shanghai at the end of March 2022 briefly eased the price front as energy demand fell noticeably.
But with no signs that oil and gas producers will increase supply, energy market prices will remain strong.
The presented papers concentrated on energy efficient production. Presenters of papers and participants to the open panel discussions were:
- Mr. Donald Gibeaut, ITA vice president/ products manager Ajax Tocco
- Mrs. Ekaterina Bezlepkina, manager sales Nakata MFG
- Mr. Christian Haferkamp, head of techni- cal sales, SMS group
- Mr. Federico Raggio, managing director CGM Cigiemme
Automotive Session
The automotive tube market, which ac- counts for about 15% of the global tube market, is relatively stable and reliable. Following the decline in global automo-
tive production in 2020 and supply chain challenges in 2021, the market will continue to grow and offers many interesting tube applications.
Future growth will mainly take place in Asia, especially in China. However due to US decoupling trends, China could increasingly become a sales problem for the Western automotive industry.
However, the trend to further reduce the weight of vehicles supports the use of tubular products. The greatest potential for tubular products is seen in the vehicle frame, followed by the chassis and the power train. Tube manufacturers will have to enter new vehicle series with larger volumes to expand their presence in the light vehicle industry. Market demand and innovative production technologies will further strengthen the application of tubes in the automotive industry.
The wide variety of potential applications was underlined in the presented papers. Presenters of papers and participants to the open panel discussions were:
ITAtube Journal December 2023