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New Report Shows Increasing Importance of Western Canadian Market For Steel Products

June 2, 2008 ( Ottawa, ON )

The western Canadian steel market has been growing faster than that of Canada as a whole, according to a report released today. Prepared by Stantec Consulting, the report outlines the specific structure of the western Canadian steel market, which has grown at an average annual rate of 2.8% since 2000.

The fastest growth was in plate steel, oil country tubular goods (OCTG) / energy tubulars, and long products used principally in construction and infrastructure applications. This growth is consistent with the recent and expected level of investment in the region, expected to exceed $200 billion over the next number of years.

The report also identifies a number of areas where the broader Canadian steel supply chain can deepen its cooperation to further support growth and investment in the region. Recommendations include:

• Further standardization of fabrication specifications and practices to improve total system materials costs
• Increased attention to overall planning process timelines
• Improved communications and information exchange within the steel supply chain on a national basis to improve linkages between producers, service centres, fabricators, and end-use steel customers