Li Yaoqiang, president of China Metal Material Circulation Association, expressed some views on the basic trend of the future development of the steel industry at the second Bohai Sea Steel Market Forum.
First of all, since the reform and opening up, great changes have taken place in the main body of the steel circulation industry. In the past, the main body of circulation was the national material enterprises. From top to bottom, from central to local, there are national materials to complete the task of material distribution and supply. Today, private enterprises have become the main body that affects steel circulation, and the vast majority of private enterprises present today have become an important force in steel circulation. At the same time, foreign-funded enterprises have begun to enter the steel circulation market in China to some extent.
Secondly, the mode of supply has changed. In the past, the circulation pattern was stable. At that time, the stability factor was arranged by the state plan. Today, a large number of them are purchased through the market. This arrangement is not a very stable structure, but more needs the independent choice of both parties. This kind of independent choice includes price, service attitude, timely delivery, reputation and so on.
Third, the business purpose and function have also changed.
In the planned economy period, the purpose of iron and steel enterprises is to ensure supply and meet the overall demand to the maximum extent. Nowadays, whether it is a state-owned enterprise or a private enterprise, the purpose of steelmaking is to make money and maximize self-worth. So the function has changed. In the past, the function of material enterprises was reservoir. Now, due to the limitation of strength, traders are more likely to follow suit.
Fourth, the business model has changed significantly. In the past, it was mostly buying and selling, but now many enterprises have become the main body of modern circulation industry, not simply buying and selling, but also including processing, distribution, advance payment of funds, information services and so on.
Fifth, great changes have taken place in the business format and means. In the past, there were only two kinds of iron and steel trading enterprises, one was pure trade and the other was simple warehousing. At present, enterprises in the field of steel trade include trading enterprises, warehousing enterprises, processing and distribution enterprises and various market and information consulting institutions. Lange has both spot market, warehouse market and electronic market launched today, and its format is increasingly rich.
Business model: in the past, it was basically a single business, but now chain economy and network business model have been widely introduced in the industry; Later, it was a big market with great circulation, and wherever there was business, it was done.
Management means: from manual operation to information popularization. Now many companies have more computers than people.
Sixth, the composition of employees has changed a lot. In the past, they were basically enterprises of state organs and national cadres. Now elites from all corners of the country are integrating into this industry. Skills have improved and values have diversified.
The reasons for these changes are:
First of all, the change of national economic system determines the direction of industry change. It is precisely because of the transformation of the economic system that great changes have taken place in the steel trading industry.
Secondly, with the development of the overall economy, the interaction between different industries. The upgrading of business formats, including the continuous innovation of services, cannot be separated from the progress of other industries.
Third, this change is achieved through continuous learning and imitation in an open environment.
Fourth, this change is carried out in relatively full competition, which more reflects the market choice at this stage. In the past, the iron and steel trade industry was controlled by the state, but it was basically in a completely competitive industry after the 1990 s.
To sum up, the changes in the past 20 years should be fruitful and positive. But at the same time, we can see that some changes have brought some new problems.
The first is that the circulation pattern is not very reasonable. From the perspective of the whole economic development, purchasing through the market is generally in an unstable state, accounting for about 60%. Such a large proportion is not suitable for the smooth operation of the whole economy, including reducing costs.
Second, the number of circulation subjects has developed greatly, but the composition is not very reasonable, and many times it is still in a state of simple and repeated competition.
Third, there is still a long way to go between the circulation function and the future demand. On the one hand, the combination of business flow and logistics is not paid enough attention. Because many circulation subjects are small and medium-sized enterprises, they have little energy and ability to consider logistics except trade, which leads to the lack of close integration of business flow and logistics, and the circulation cost is still at a high level.
Fourth, the right to speak of trade groups with small and medium-sized enterprises as the main body is insufficient. This not only brings problems to our own operation, but also makes us lose the protection of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Fifth, at present, the whole circulation system is often in a high-risk state. Lack of hedging mechanism.
Sixth, the market competitiveness of practitioners has been greatly improved, but because people come from all corners of the country and have diversified values, the mainstream culture in the industry has not yet formed.
Factors affecting the future of steel:
First, the world economy is still growing, but many new features have emerged.
The global capital shortage has changed from the past capital surplus to the present capital surplus. A large number of hot money has become the dominant force in commodity markets, financial markets and even many commodity markets. In the past, the commodity price factor was more about supply and demand, but now it is far from so simple. There are many factors that affect prices, among which financial power is very strong. Therefore, while seeing the growth trend, we should fully consider the characteristics of economic development at this stage and the changes in influencing factors.
Second, while China's economy is generally improving, the change of growth mode is increasingly urgent, and phased adjustment is inevitable. In the next two or three years, we will face adjustment, which will increase the cost for us, and the competition among enterprises will stop at the cost competition. How to reduce the cost for customers has become a more critical factor in the future.
Third, the market will be more orderly. The planned economy in the past was orderly, with government arrangements and stable channels. After the reform and opening up, the order has become less clear, and will gradually become orderly in the future. This order is the order under the condition of market economy. First, laws and regulations have been further improved. Second, competition will be conducted at a higher level. Third, the concept of win-win will be more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Some iron and steel enterprises, circulation enterprises and banks form a chain to compete with another chain, and this competition will also become a major form. Fourth, the boundaries of industry sectors will be more blurred.
Fourth, the influence of derivatives market on steel circulation will gradually increase, and the rules of steel circulation will change greatly.
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