Doosan IMGB: Demand for forged steel is very high

Doosan IMGB equipment manufacturer, controlled by South-Korean group Doosan, plans a production of 83,000 tonnes of molten steel for this year, up by around 40% against 2008, when it amounted to almost 59,000 tonnes. The company management says demand on the forged steel segment continues to be high, with a shortage of orders being felt only on the metallurgy segment. The metallurgy industry in Romania was heavily hit by the world crisis at the end of last year, which translated into a significant decline in demand for exports and in sales prices, prompting many manufacturers to reduce or halt production for certain periods of time. "Demand for forged steel is very high. The cast steel segment has, indeed, been somewhat affected - there is a slight shortage of orders on this segment. The metallurgy segment saw declines, but we expect to make up for them in two or three months' time," said Florin Antonescu, general manager of the company. IMGB's contracts are long-term ones, so the company is not very affected by the international crisis.