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?
• Reviewing the key differences between regional hubs of scrap production
• To what extent are scrap companies formally incorporated into the steel supply chain and how does this affect their ability to take advantage of IMMEX?
   

11:15AM Joint Speaker Q&A

11:30AM Networking refreshment break

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?

3:30PM Transporting Mexico's scrap

• Assessing the current infrastructure patterns around Mexico 
• What are the main considerations to take into account when transporting scrap round Mexico?
• Are recycling plants moving closer to steel mills? To what extent is this driven by rising transport costs?
• A review of regional scrap procurement patterns in Mexico
   

4:00PM Raw materials - 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?
   

4:30PM 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?
   

5:15PM 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 Insights from a leading steel mill

10:15AM 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

10:45AM Networking refreshment break

11:15AM Reforging relationships - possible new trade dynamics

• To what extent has steel industry benefitted from the 2016 EU trade deal? 
• What is the relationship with China in the aftermath of anti-dumping measures, and have the tariffs affected Chinese oversupply? 
• Investigating the outcomes of a deeper trade relationship with South America – can the Pacific Alliance pick up the slack?
   

12:00PM Life beyond NAFTA

• Should domestic industry be working towards closing the gap between supply and demand? What are the factors affecting this?
• Can national projects such as SEZ areas and Mexico City New International Airport continue and prosper in a more restrictive business environment?
• Reviewing the future of IMMEX and attracting foreign investment into Mexico
   

12:45PM Networking lunch break

2:15PM Technology in the supply chain

• A year in technology - updates on the latest technology projects in steel production
• How widespread is technology in Mexican steel mills? Where are mills sourcing this expertise? 
• What’s next? An overview of challenges and opportunities in the Mexican market

2:45PM 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 

3:15PM Networking refreshment break

4:00PM How has steel fared against an uncertain peso?

• Assessing the impact of a volatile currency on the Mexican steel market 
• Which industries in particular are affected most? How can they mitigate this risk?
• How have inflated interest rates impacted the market over the past year? 

4:30PM 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?

5:15PM 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 Truck driver shortage - wait it out or seek another route?

• What is the impact of the North American truck driver shortage in Mexico? How will this be overcome?
• To what extent is the issue the result of inadequate employee protection regulations and are these being revisited? 
• How far can this issue be explained as just a consequence of alternate supply and demand flows?

11:15AM 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 Does size matter?

• A review of the different approaches in tackling the tariffs and maintaining BAU 
• What factors influence how companies handle changing trade policies? Is there generally a difference in approach between SMEs and larger market players?
• What are the biggest obstacles to a high turnover from semi to finished product in the current market? How are firms addressing these?

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