On Tuesday 29 January 2008 13:53:36 Cleveland, Kyle E. wrote:
> Expert my a**!  If it weren't for Cheney's Haliburton, we wouldn't have
> to weld field kitchen trays to the doors of National Guard trucks (left
> at home) to keep the snow out of the rust holes.  Hopefully, the next
> Prez will wake up Congress that we need to be on a war footing and spool
> up heavy industry to get materiel for this fight.  THAT would create
> jobs in the heaviest-hit areas like the "Rust Belt".  Do you guys know
> that we have virtually NO raw steel production in the U.S. anymore?  Our
> scrap goes overseas and they ship the melted billets (or finished
> product) back to us--at a premium.  It places us in a real strategic
> weak spot.  Right now, not only can't the military get stainless steel,
> but even companies that make commercial stainless kitchen equipment are
> begging for product...as are surgical tool makers, etc.
>
> Why in the world did we allow outsourcing?
>

Hi Kyle,

Its not that bad!! US is still the 4th top Stainless Steel producer in the 
world:-

<http://www.meps.co.uk/editorial8-07.htm>

in terms of crude steel its 3rd:-

<http://www.worldsteel.org/pictures/newsfiles/2007 Summary.pdf>

Unfortunately the Stainless Steel market is partially hampered by nickel 
speculation, which has depressed world production over the last year (an 
example of where a "free" capitalist market is not a "good thing", if it 
causes shortages in military or commercial commodities). :-)

See Nickel price graph (put start date of 2005):-

<http://www.lme.co.uk/nickel_graphs.asp>


Cheers

Deri

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