British steelcompanies urge the government to continue to develop HS2 railway project
British steelcompanies are urging the government to complete the HS2 railway project, whichwill connect central and Northern London and is expected to generate 2 milliontons of steel demand to drive the weak steel industry.
The originalbudget for the project was 56 billion pounds ($73.4 billion), but the cost ofthe project has now risen to 88 billion pounds ($115.3 billion), and thegovernment is reviewing its feasibility.
Gareth Stace,head of the General Administration of steel, said the project needed to becarried out to promote the development of the steel industry. If the HS2project starts, it will add 2000 jobs to the steel industry.
India's Ministryof steel may reduce the tax burden on domestic steel enterprises
Foreign mediareported that on December 27, an Indian official said that the Ministry ofsteel of India may issue a white paper in the next three to four months, whichplans to reduce the tax burden of domestic steel enterprises and increase their competitiveness.
When the whitepaper is completed, it will be submitted to the Ministry of finance of India topropose adjustments to taxes, tariffs and other local tariffs on Indian steelproduction, the official added.
Last week, AnilKumar Chowdhury, chairman of sail, said that India's steel industry has a hightax rate. Raw materials such as coal and iron ore can be taxed at 20%, farhigher than other countries, with a per ton steel production cost of about$450.
US steelcontinues to shut down a blast furnace at Ko Chen ice steel plant
At present, theEuropean steel market is still weak, U.S. Steel said in its fourth quarter reportthat it will continue to shut down a blast furnace at Slovakia's kosk steelworks (USSK), while delaying some planned investment.
In the middle ofJanuary 2019, USSK announced the construction of a new production line inkoshuice, Slovakia, with an investment of $130 million and an estimated annualproduction capacity of 100000 tons. Construction will start in the middle of2019, with the goal of putting into operation in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Today, USSK hasannounced the postponement of the investment plan, and has not indicated whenthe investment will be postponed, but it has promised to continue to invest inthe steel plant when market conditions improve.