24th Mexican Steel Forum

8:30AM Registration opens

9:55AM Chairperson’s opening remarks

10:00AM The ‘Trump Effect’ - has scrap slipped through the net?

• How have Section 232 tariffs affected the cross-border steel scrap market?
• Assessing the impact of scrap price disparity between the US and Mexico and how this affects cross-border trade
• To what extent do Mexican scrap dealers rely on southern US steel mills and is this set to change?

10:45AM 'Shredding' some light on the Mexican scrap market

• Surplus and scarcities – which type of scrap does Mexico produce and which type does it import?
• Regional differences in scrap production and consumption estimates for 2019
• A closer look at the advantages of shredded scrap

11:15AM Networking refreshment break

11:45AM Cost-competive scrap processing through Danieli technology

12:15PM Assessing domestic and global pricing trends

• To what extent have prices of scrap been depressed as a result of the Section 232 tariffs? What are domestic factors affecting the price of scrap?
• What are the key global trends dominating scrap pricing? How do these affect Mexico?
• When can we expect Mexico to produce more scrap domestically? What would prompt more consumers to dispose of more metal?
   

12:45PM Interactive polling: Fastmarkets scrap pricing workshop – two years on

• Updates on the latest developments in Fastmarkets AMM’s Mexico pricing assessment
• Where is this assessment being used, and by whom?
• How can Fastmarkets AMM’s scrap prices help you better understand the market and inform your purchasing decisions?
   

1:30PM Networking lunch

3:00PM The rise of automotive aluminum explained

• Examining the outlook for aluminum in the automotive industry how has this has progressed over the past year
• Is it likely that aluminum demand will replace steel demand for the production of vehicles? What other steel-dominant industries have been affected? 
• Reviewing Mexico’s aluminum scrap capacity - how costly is this process compared to processing steel scrap?

4:00PM Recycling companies and steel mills in conversation

• How are steel mills anticipating demand for certain products, and how do recycling companies strive to stay ahead of the game? What role do scrap dealers play in this?
• Assessing the impact of mills developing their own scrap recycling facilities
• Examining the ways in which steel mills are addressing the demand for higher quality steel products – how will this affect the secondary grade domestic markets?
• What other raw materials are steel mills buying and where are they sourcing them?
   

4:45PM End of Steel Scrap Seminar and welcome drinks for Mexican Steel Forum

7:30AM Registration opens

8:55AM Welcome address from Fastmarkets

9:00AM Nuevo Leon - heart of steel

• A review of the largest steel industry investments over the last 12 months
• How have the NAFTA renegotiations impacted Monterrey’s import/export activity?
• What are the trends that the Mexican manufacturing industries are moving towards, and how will this affect Monterrey’s largest industries?

9:30AM NAFTA-shocks - Mexico reacts to a turning trade tide

• Has Mexico seen an increase in steel production capacity similar to the US as a result of the tariffs?
• To what extent has the steel industry been affected by cautious domestic business since the introduction of the tariffs? 
• How has steel export market been impacted? Have retaliatory tariffs on flat products from the US been effective?
• Assessing the current situation with Chinese domestic demand and its impact on the Mexican market

During this session, we give you a chance to voice your opinion on NAFTA, trade and tariffs via live polling questions which will be incorporated directly into the discussion.

10:15AM Networking refreshment break

11:00AM Status of Section 232 tariffs in US-Mexico relations: Impact on the Mexican market and measures adopted

• New Rules of Origin for the automotive sector under the USMCA  and their impact on the steel sector
• Antidumping and the steel industry in Mexico
• The face of Mexican Customs under the new Administration and enforcement actions for the steel industry.

11:30AM Supply and demand - a market update

• What is the current availability of iron ore in Mexico? Which nations are Mexico’s biggest export partners for this?
• An overview of the domestic and global pricing trends for steel-making raw materials
• The demand for higher quality products has resulted in some mills turning to alternative methods of production. How widespread is the use of DRI pellets in blast furnaces, and what effect will this have on the price of iron ore and scrap?

12:00PM Steel Risk Management Session: Utilizing Futures, Swaps, Options to Reduce Risk

12:20PM Networking lunch break

1:30PM How can Mexico benefit from the latest supply chain technologies?

• Latest developments in raw material procurement & optimization efforts.
• Process technology trends to watch for reducing scrap prep & handling costs.
• Environmental solutions for optimizing the use of furnace slags and other by-products.

2:00PM What is powering Mexican steel? A market overview

• Energy reform under the new administration - the current situation and outlook for the steel industry 
• Where are the opportunities and challenges for natural gas in Mexico?
• Assessing the paradigm shift on steel production - from CFE tariffs to Wholesale Market Dynamics 
• Examining the synergies between steel production and clean energy in Mexico 

2:30PM Networking refreshment break

3:15PM How innovation translates to profit

Tenova, Techint Group, Speakers TBC 

3:45PM How OEMs are adapting to a changing industry

• What measures are OEMs taking to ensure a smooth transition from emphasis on volume to quality?
• What kind of new technologies are being introduced to the supply chain in order to do this? 
• How have new regional quotas affected the cost of auto parts and where OEMs source them?
• How can Tier 2 and 3 suppliers keep up with the rapidly evolving demand from OEMs?

4:30PM End of day one of the Mexican Steel Forum and networking drinks

9:00AM Domestic outlook for the construction industry

• What is the outlook for the construction industry in Mexico? What factors are influencing this, and is there any overlap automotive market?
• Experts say new infrastructure projects such as earthquake reconstruction and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) will mean significant demand for the construction industry. Will this be enough to keep demand steady? 
• How will the cancellation of the Mexico City New International Airport (NAICM) affect the construction industry, and what will become of the resources and infrastructure allocated to it? 
• What is the difference in effectiveness between privately funded and national infrastructure projects?
   

9:45AM Case study – SBQ and Grupo Simec’s Tlaxcala mill

• A review of the current demand for SBQ and other special quality steel products in Mexico
• Reasons for setting up the Tlaxcala mill and how this has enabled Grupo Simec to meet domestic demand How has producing SBQ also enabled Grupo Simec to maintain competitiveness with the US?
• Does Grupo Simec’s story mean that it is beneficial for all mills to focus on producing specialized products in the current economic climate?
   

10:15AM Impact of the USMCA on transporting Mexico's steel

• An overview of the major trading routes in Mexico - have these changed since NAFTA came into question?
• What obstacles are currently faced by the transportation networking in Mexico? What needs to be improved to accommodate increasing domestic production?
• Could internal activity across a domestic transportation system offset the costs of reduced activity in the US?

10:45AM Is the rail industry on the right track?

• Under which circumstances is rail transportation preferred? 
• How integrated is the Mexican railroad network with the US and Canada, and has this caused the industry problems since the introduction of USMCA?
• What is the current situation with overcapacity and how is this problem being addressed? What are the tangible effects for the Mexican steel industry?

12:00PM Adapting to a new economic climate

• What kinds of challenges are service centers facing in terms of trade, tariffs and 'cautious business'?
• An overview of the changing material trends in the automotive sector 
• How are service centers adapting to new demands? Is there any new technology required?

12:45PM Networking lunch and end of the Mexican Steel Forum