Purchasing articles from April 2003

Purchasing archives from April 2003

Time to rethink hand-to-mouth buying strategies, especially for plastic resins. (Tip Sheet).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Time to rethink hand-to-mouth buying strategies, especially for plastic resins, chemicals and some metals. Leadtimes are stretching fast for many commodities, according to Purchasing's Business Survey. Examples: Polystyrene deliveries are now...

You know about Japanese transplants. (Tip Sheet).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * You know about Japanese transplants setting up U.S. manufacturing bases. Now get ready for the Chinese. The Haier Group of China is building a plant in Camden, S.C., to make large refrigerators and other appliances. The Legend Group which...

Construction equipment manufacturers see sluggish growth in 2003. (Tip Sheet).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Construction equipment manufacturers see sluggish growth in 2003. Machinery makers polled by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers forecast increased business of 2% in the U.S. market and 3.2% in Canada. Sales in 2002 fell 5.6% in the...

Personal computer buying could post a modest increase in unit shipments. (Tip Sheet).(in 2003)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Personal computer buying could post a modest increase in unit shipments during 2003. However, George Shiffler, an analyst at Gartner Dataquest, says the "the uncertainty of the near-term economic outlook is dampening corporate PC purchases."...

Don't look for a rebound in capital spending soon. (Tip Sheet).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Don't look for a rebound in capital spending soon. Iraq war worries, weakened demand, and plenty of existing production capacity kept manufacturers from spending on new equipment in January as machine tool orders dived 24.9% from the previous...

Register for Purchasing's Global Procurement Conference now. (Tip Sheet).
April 3, 2003... * Register for Purchasing's Global Procurement Conference now. Hear insights from 10 members of PURCHASING'S Editorial Advisory Board in keynote sessions on April 16 and 17. What are the leaders doing to reduce costs? How should purchasing be...

East/West coasts show strongest activity.(Illustration)
April 3, 2003... East/West coasts show strongest activity Up Down Same Index Trend Business Activity Indexes * National 37% 32% 31% 52.6 [down] Northeast ...

First quarter showed a moderate decline in North American consumer demand. (Supply).(for major appliances)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * First quarter showed a moderate decline in North American consumer demand for major appliances, and what's bothering producers is that the appliance market isn't showing a sales-mix shift to lower-priced products. Upshot: If the trend...

With microchip purchasing slowing. (Supply).(Philips Electronics will reduce CMOS capacity )(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * With microchip purchasing slowing, Philips Electronics will reduce complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) capacity by about 20% by closing two chip fabrication operations in the U.S. in Albuquerque, N.M., and in San Antonio, Texas.

Purchasing of fiber-optic products is expected to exit. (Supply).(predicted to leave recession behind)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Purchasing of fiber-optic products is expected to exit a three-year recession in 2003, but there should be sufficient material available despite reduced capacity, forecasts analyst Zhiping Zhao at Sanford Bernstein. The industry has shed...

There's plenty of cheap sheet steel available. (Supply).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * There's plenty of cheap sheet steel available although costs of raw materials are surging. Recent discussions with steel buyers and producers indicate the industry's proposed $30/ton price hike for sheet for the second quarter has already...

Corrugated box demand from manufacturing is soft. (Supply).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Corrugated box demand from manufacturing is soft, so second quarter linerboard and corrugating medium supply in the Midwest/East Coast is plentiful--and cheap. Market insiders see no clear signs of a purchasing pickup in the near future. Spot...

Don't expect a surge in buying of forest products. (Supply).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Don't expect a surge in buying of forest products anytime soon. That's the word from executives at Boise Cascade, who see continued weak demand and low average product prices caused by prolonged economic difficulty. "Continued weak markets...

Finnish Chemicals has moved North American headquarters. (Supply).(to Eastover, South Carolina)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Finnish Chemicals has moved North American headquarters to Eastover, S.C. The firm, which makes the sodium chlorate chemical used to whiten paper, has closed plants in Canada, North Carolina and Florida so it can consolidate production in...

Forward demand, 30-days.(Illustration)
April 3, 2003... Forward demand, 30-days COMMODITY DIFFUSION CATEGORY PERIOD UP DOWN SAME INDEX Transportation services Mar 32% 17% 51% 57.2 Tooling Mar ...

Energy spike drives commodities higher. (Transaction Prices).
April 3, 2003... Led by surging natural gas and crude oil prices that directly affect production cost for any number of products, spot-market prices for industrial commodities have marched forward in recent weeks, causing PURCHASING magazine's Industrial...

Purchasing transaction price survey results.(Illustration)
April 3, 2003... Purchasing transaction price survey results Buyers' Transaction forecast price * FERROUS METALS (truckload quantities, FOB producing mills) ...

Transaction price forecasts.(Illustration)
April 3, 2003... Transaction price forecasts 2002 Quarterly averages Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 FORECAST STEEL ($/net ton) Hot-rolled sheet 237 317...

The best and the brightest. (Inside Purchasing).
April 3, 2003... Tune in April 16 & 17 to PURCHASING magazine's first Global Procurement Conference to get insights from the nation's top chief procurement officers. Each day will kick off with keynote sessions featuring members of PURCHASING'S Editorial...

Professional profile.(Cristina Nguyen, purchasing manager, Morgan Advanced Ceramics Inc.)
April 3, 2003... Name: Cristina N. Nguyen Tide: Purchasing Manager Company: Morgan Advanced Ceramics Inc., Hayward, Calif., MAC is a global business unit of Morgan Crucible Co., providers of engineered solutions using ceramics, carbon and other...

What's hot.(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Alcoa Materials Management indeed is marketing its newest product, T-bars of aluminum secondary alloys, says Kevin Anton, president. The Alcoa Inc. subsidiary is the first primary aluminum producer supplying a product traditionally provided by...

New technologies keep lighter SUVs safe and fuel-efficient. (Aluminum).
April 3, 2003... Expanded use of aluminum in a sport utility vehicles (SUVs) creates lighter, more fuel efficient and possibly safer vehicles, according to two studies released at the SAE World Congress in Detroit by engineers from Ford Motor Co. One paper...

Alcoa plans for 1.4 million metric tons of new capacity. (Aluminum).
April 3, 2003... Aluminum giant Alcoa Inc. has signed agreements with Canadian and Icelandic governments to expand primary smelting by more than 1.4 million metric tons/year by 2013 and help expand downstream operations in local aluminum processing industries....

North American Stainless. (Chips).(to open new slitting plant in Minooka, IL)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... North American Stainless will open new slitting plant in Minooka, Ill., to handle master coils weighing up to 38.5 net tons in sizes up to 63 inches wide and .016-inch thick. A railroad line has been brought into the plant to accommodate...

Paragon Tube Corp. (Chips).(adds steel pipe and tube capacity)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Paragon Tube Corp. is installing a third steel tube manufacturing line at its plant in Fort Wayne, Ind. The new line will be operating by May, producing electric resistance-welded (ERW) carbon steel pipe and tube up to three inches in outside...

Stelco. (Chips).(to idle the steel plate mill in Hamilton, Ontario)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Stelco will idle the steel plate mill in Hamilton, Ont., in April, that has been operating at only 25% of its capacity since August 2002 due to a reduction in orders and high levels of imports.

Jindal Steel is trying to sell the Massillon Stainless operation in Ohio. (Chips).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Jindal Steel is trying to sell the Massillon Stainless operation in Ohio that it acquired in late 2000 for $3.5 million. The Indian firm hopes to garner $8 million for the noncore investment. The 66,000-ton/year cold-rolled stainless steel...

Slater Steel Inc. (Chips).(recommissions rolling mill in Illinois)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Slater Steel Inc. of Mississauga, Ont., has recommissioned the rolling mill at its recently acquired Lemont Steel, now Slater Lemont, in Illinois, which had been idle since February 2001. Slater intends to make various sizes and shapes of...

Steel Dynamics Inc. (Chips).(acquiring GalvPro assets)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Mini-mill Steel Dynamics Inc. of Butler, Ind., has purchased the assets of GalvPro in Jeffersonville, Ind., which has the ability to process up to 385,000 tons/year of light gauge hot-dipped cold rolled galvanized steel. The plant began...

Sivaco Wire Group. (Chips).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Sivaco Wire Group, Newnan, Ga., is consolidating its North American steel wiredrawing operations to plants in Marieville, Quebec, and Ingersoll, Ontario. This will result in the Newnan plant being phased out during the next several months,...

Canam Steel Corp. (Chips).(closed its Lafayette, Ind., plant)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Canam Steel Corp., Point of Rocks, Md., closed its Lafayette, Ind., plant to concentrate production at Washington, Mo., and Columbus, Ohio, facilities. Canam Steel purchased the Lafayette facility from Steel Joist of Indiana Inc. in 1988.

Arkansas Steel Associates of Newport, Ark., and Park-Ohio Holdings of Cleveland, Ohio, have created joint venture firm Southwest Steel Processing. (Chips).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Arkansas Steel Associates of Newport, Ark., and Park-Ohio Holdings of Cleveland, Ohio, have created joint venture firm Southwest Steel Processing to forge rail car components in Newport, using steel supplied by Arkansas Steel. Park-Ohio is an...

Hussey Copper Ltd. (Chips).(closing its forging plant in Bensalem, PA)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Hussey Copper Ltd. is closing its forging plant in Bensalem, Pa., thus exiting the Hussey Marine Forge and Flange product lines due to lackluster demand. "We have basically discontinued all the forged products, the flanges and the forged rods...

Leroux Steel Inc. (Chips).(closes steel service center in Piscataway, New Jersey)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Leroux Steel Inc. of suburban Montreal has closed its Piscataway, N.J., steel service center as part of a reorganization of its money-losing American activities that also have resulted in shutdowns of processing plants in Schenectady, N.Y., and...

Maven: rebound year unlikely for extrusions. (Aluminum).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Strong purchasing growth for extruded aluminum shapes probably isn't in the cards for 2003 because activity in automotive and construction markets is uncertain. The construction industry accounts for about a third of the 3.5 billion...

Factory bookings dull metalworking. (Metals).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Metalworking activity soured in March after manufacturing stumbled in February. Sixty-five percent of metals buyers responding to PURCHASING's latest Business Survey believe there is little evidence of a real recovery in the industrial...

Tariffs trigger turbulent times: supply woes have lessened in 2003, but pricing remains erratic. (Coated Steel).
April 3, 2003... Kraig Langvad has been having a tough time sourcing coated steel sheet for the past year. "Section 201 tariffs tightened supply to the point that we were on allocation for a time," says the steel buyer at the Gensco manufacturing plant of...

Cost reduction becomes buying execs' battle cry. (Management).
April 3, 2003... As companies fight battles for global markets, many are finding themselves facing really tough questions about costs. For people working in supply, sourcing and purchasing functions the pressure is building for them to take greater...

Motorola appoints Metty to new CPO post. (Who's News).(Theresa Metty, chief procurement officer)
April 3, 2003... Motorola, a global leader in personal communications products, is creating a new enterprise-wide purchasing initiative based at corporate headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill. The goal is to tap leverage savings throughout the company similar to...

Time for another law quiz. (Murray's Law).
April 3, 2003... It is time for another quiz. The following nine problems are presented for your analysis. Eight of the problems will determine your understanding of the differences between domestic law and international law that applies to U. S. companies in...

High-hanging fruit: how the Global Strategic Sourcing organization at Bristol-Myers Squibb plans to deliver its next billion in cost savings. (Sourcing Strategy).
April 3, 2003... A great danger for top purchasing execs is that success breeds high expectations. Bank $250 million worth of savings one year and top brass will be looking for $300 million the next. Bristol-Myers Squibb has been sourcing strategically...

Microsoft takes steps to world-class procurement: purchasing rises to meet cost-savings challenge issued by CEO Steve Ballmer. (CEO Report).
April 3, 2003... Microsoft is closing in on exceeding a $1 billion cost-savings goal. Issued by CEO Steve Ballmer nearly two years ago, the companywide challenge called for the savings to be achieved within 24 months. The software giant is on track: It has...

What's hot.(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Rollin', we hardly knew ya'. LTL buyers hoping for some price relief will have to keep hoping. The efforts to revitalize the former Consolidated Freightways have hit a roadblock and may not go any further. Rollin' International was set up by...

Shippers seek new advantages while retaining inbound control. (Optimizing LTL).
April 3, 2003... If you're a logistics manager and you're still managing your less-than-truckload shipments with spreadsheets and sticky notes, you risk missing out on serious savings and efficiencies that your competitors may be realizing. Skyrocketing fuel...

The Department of Transportation recently completed a test of the Electronic Supply Chain Manifest System. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... The Department of Transportation recently completed a test of the Electronic Supply Chain Manifest System, a federally sponsored intermodal freight operation project that could mean cost savings and security benefits for future freight...

A new proposed bill in the California State Assembly would hold shippers liable for cargo loss and injury. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... A new proposed bill in the California State Assembly would hold shippers liable for cargo loss and injury caused by accidents involving inadequately licensed truckers that haul cargo. The Intermodal Reform Act was introduced to the California...

A German services union recently pledged to resist Deutsche Post's plan to outsource package-delivery services. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... A German services union recently pledged to resist Deutsche Post's plan to outsource package-delivery services as part of the company's cost-cutting drive. In a recent interview, Deutsche Post CEO Klaus Zumwinkel said the company might...

In a surprise announcement, the Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group has been granted conditional amnesty from prosecution and fines. (Briefs).(for violation of U.S. and European Commission antitrust laws in exchange for its cooperation with authorities investigating price-fixing)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... In a surprise announcement, the Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group has been granted conditional amnesty from prosecution and fines for violation of U.S. and European Commission antitrust laws in exchange for its cooperation with authorities...

Airborne Inc. is leapfrogging its competitors and boosting its fuel surcharges for air and ground shipping. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Airborne Inc. is leapfrogging its competitors and boosting its fuel surcharges for air and ground shipping. Effective March 3, the surcharge for air shipments on Airborne became 5.1%, up from 4.3%. The ground surcharge rose to 1.8% from 1.3%....

Edward Emmett has stepped up his departure date as president of the National Industrial Transportation League. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Edward Emmett has stepped up his departure date as president of the National Industrial Transportation League. Emmett announced March 4 that he would leave NITL on March 21 instead of May 6 as originally announced. Peter Gatti, currently vice...

Linda Morgan will resign from her post as the head of the Surface Transportation Board on April 8. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Linda Morgan will resign from her post as the head of the Surface Transportation Board on April 8, according to a report in the Washington Post. Morgan has served as chairman of the STB and its predecessor the Interstate Commerce Commission...

Purchasing magazine exclusive: freight rate outlook.(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... PURCHASING MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE Freight Rate Outlook Majority of buyers keep More buyers see price spending steady hikes coming in (transportation buying transportation trends, 30-day...

Global Procurement Conference April 16-17, 2003.(lists itinerary of the Global Procurement conference of April 16, 2003)
April 3, 2003... Become World Class in Supply Management PURCHASING magazine introduces the first ever Global Procurement Conference--an online conference speaking to the world on the best-in-class procurement practices. The Global Procurement Conference...

Key supplier web-site locator.(list of companies with contact information)
April 3, 2003... ADHESIVES, SEALANTS AND COATINGS Master Bond Inc. www.masterbond.com Master Bond Inc. manufacturers over 3,000 grades of adhesives, sealants, coatings, potting compounds and impregnation resins. Products include epoxies,...

Caution breeds long leads. (Leadtimes).
April 3, 2003... PURCHASING'S Leadtime Index (1992=100) leapt 14 points between February and March, bringing its total increase from last low point (in April 2002) to 52 points (see chart on p.1). For the 12 months ending in March, this indicator--which tracks...

Electronics Business Indicator. (Tip Sheet).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
April 17, 2003... Thirty-six percent of the electronics buyers surveyed in March said new orders for finished goods at their companies had deteriorated, versus 33% reporting improvement (typically moderate) and 31% reporting no substantial change. [GRAPH...

Prepare special contingency plans because of unsettled conditions in the Mideast. (Tip Sheet).(Delphi Automotive Systems Corp. creating 'war room')(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Prepare special contingency plans because of unsettled conditions in the Mideast. Delphi is creating a "war room" at its Michigan headquarters where teams of logistics and production people are drawing plans for alternate shipping routes or...

Oil prices may drop to $22/bbl by August, taking substantial pressure off plastic and monomer prices. (Tip Sheet).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Oil prices may drop to $22/bbl by August, taking substantial pressure off plastic and monomer prices. That should also set the stage for economic growth, with the possibility that long-delayed capital spending will finally be released....

Keep an eye on travel expenses right now. (Tip Sheet).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Keep an eye on travel expenses right now. Make sure your travelers are using special rates. Tickets from the West Coast to the East Coast are available for less than $300. Some Transatlantic fares are dirt cheap. You must be a little flexible...

Software companies may view mergers and consolidations as an excuse to boost their revenue base from site licenses. (Tip Sheet).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Software companies may view mergers and consolidations as an excuse to boost their revenue base from site licenses. Don't let them get away with it. IT buyers should protect their companies up front by inserting license assignment provisions in...

Don't look for any breakthrough agreements on world trade that will reduce tariff barriers. (Tip Sheet).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Don't look for any breakthrough agreements on world trade that will reduce tariff barriers. There's too much residual bad feeling from diplomacy problems leading up to Operation Iraqi Freedom. It may take years to heal the rift between American...

Expect prices for 15-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) panels to remain stable despite tight supply and strong demand. (Tip Sheet).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Expect prices for 15-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) panels to remain stable despite tight supply and strong demand. Manufacturers are leery of damping demand by raising prices. The price for a 15-inch panel averaged about $173 in the first...

90-Day Semiconductor Price Expectations. (Prices).(Illustration)
April 17, 2003... (Diffusion index, less than 50 = falling, more than 50 = rising) With chip demand weak and capacity abundant, semiconductor producers will be fortunate if this index tracking U.S. buyers' price expectations stays near neutral in the coming...

Some cable manufacturers say they have been hit so hard by surging raw materials prices they have to raise prices charged to electronic equipment makers. (Prices).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Some cable manufacturers say they have been hit so hard by surging raw materials prices they have to raise prices charged to electronic equipment makers. Risk: Buyers will seek out lower-priced competitors since many other cable factories are...

Spot gold has been selling above $300/ounce for the past year now. (Prices).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Spot gold has been selling above $300/ounce for the past year now, and some analysts see it soaring toward $400 as long as investors worry about how the conflict with Iraq will impact world economy.

There's no end in sight to the price war for personal computers which has forced producers to reduce operating expenses in-line with reduced revenues and gross profits. (Prices).(forecast of personal computers)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... There's no end in sight to the price war for personal computers which has forced producers to reduce operating expenses in-line with reduced revenues and gross profits, says analyst Charles Wolf at Needham & Co. in New York. He says PC buyers...

Timken Corp. wants a 5% price increase on carbon seamless steel tubing and a 7% hike on alloy seamless steel tubing. (Prices).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Timken Corp. wants a 5% price increase on carbon seamless steel tubing and a 7% hike on alloy seamless steel tubing. In addition, annealed and thermal-treated tubing products will incur additional increases of 2% because "rapidly rising natural...

By developing silicon-based sensors for new-generation digital signal processing (DSP) circuits to replace more costly optical sensors. (Prices).(Texas Instruments Inc.'s product development)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... By developing silicon-based sensors for new-generation digital signal processing (DSP) circuits to replace more costly optical sensors, Texas Instruments sees improved accuracy and reliability of digital communications. Atop that, DSP component...

Malaysian natural rubber prices have softened to 98cents/kg since the war in Iraq began, due to reduced demand worldwide, according to Damitha Perera of Forbes and Walker commodity brokers in Sri Lanka. (Prices).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Malaysian natural rubber prices have softened to 98cents/kg since the war in Iraq began, due to reduced demand worldwide, according to Damitha Perera of Forbes and Walker commodity brokers in Sri Lanka. Rubber prices were at a record high well...

Hewlett-Packard has been lowering prices for personal computers despite anemic demand. (Prices).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Hewlett-Packard has been lowering prices for personal computers despite anemic demand. The PC division, which was expected to lose $40 million in the first quarter, posted a surprise $33 million profit even with lower market prices. How? The...

Electronics Forward Demand Indicator. (Economy).(Illustration)
April 17, 2003... Buyer's inventories must be tight indeed if PURCHASING'S For ward Demand Index for electronics-con-summing companies is still positive while new order rates have gone sluggish again. [GRAPH OMITTED] Tracking the high-tech economy ...

After 12 consecutive months in growth territory--above 50--PURCHASING's Business Activity Index for electronics-consuming companies has slipped to a negative 48.2 in March. (Economy).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... After 12 consecutive months in growth territory--above 50--PURCHASING's Business Activity Index for electronics-consuming companies has slipped to a negative 48.2 in March. High tech sectors continued to perform below par as PURCHASING'S...

Forecast consensus for U.S. economic growth in 2003 has declined again--to 2.6%--as many of the risk factors for slower growth are coming true. (Economy).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Forecast consensus for U.S. economic growth in 2003 has declined again--to 2.6%-as many of the risk factors for slower growth are coming true. First, energy prices have remained elevated, cutting into consumer's discretionary income. Likewise,...

War worries may be clouding the consumer-spending horizon right now. (Economy).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... War worries may be clouding the consumer-spending horizon right now, but Global Insight's Nariman Behravesh points out some significant differences between the previous Gulf War and now. First, the economy was already in recession when the last...

The Housing Market Index, which measures builders' confidence, plunged 10 points in March to its lowest level since November 2001. (Economy).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... The Housing Market Index, which measures builders' confidence, plunged 10 points in March to its lowest level since November 2001, according to the National Association of Home Builders, which publishes the index. That bodes badly for the 2003...

Purchasing electronics transaction price survey results. (Electronics Transaction Prices).(Illustration)
April 17, 2003... Purchasing electronics transaction price survey results Byters' Transaction Previous forecast price * month ** DRAMS [down] 128Mb SDRAM PC33 ...

Buyers report fewer price drops. (Electronics Transaction Prices).
April 17, 2003... Buyers responding to PURCHASING magazine's monthly survey of prices and business conditions indicate that prices for some components are falling, but in most cases, tags are about the same as last month. There were scattered price declines...

Electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). (Hot Spots).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Expect prices for electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) to fall for the next several months. The average price for a 4 kilobit EEPROM in a plastic dual in-line (PDIP) package fell from 18Cents in November 2002 to about...

Welcome to the BIC. (Inside Purchasing).(Business Intelligence Center)
April 17, 2003... We're about to make your business planning a lot easier. This month we are launching PURCHASING magazine's Business Intelligence Center at www.purchasingdata.com. The BIC is a Web-based data wonderland for purchasing professionals. In it...

Mexico or China? Lower costs tip scales toward Far East. (Outsourced Manufacturing).
April 17, 2003... While the global trade landscape changes almost daily, two of the most significant changes that have affected U.S. international commerce are the passage of the NAFTA almost a decade ago and the admission of China to the World Trade...

What's hot. (Electronics & Technology News).(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... By all indications, the buyers' market for electronics will continue through the rest of the year for a variety of reasons. While unit demand is expected to be strong this year, capacity is abundant which will keep prices low. A lot of...

More chip production moves to China. (Semiconductors).
April 17, 2003... It's no secret that China is emerging as a sourcing locale for electronics. Many electronics manufacturing services companies and component manufacturers have opened facilities in China to take advantage of low-cost labor. Semiconductor...

China is not for everyone. (Electronics Outsourcing).
April 17, 2003... Low labor rates have made China the manufacturing Mecca of the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry. Many EMS providers have shuttered shops in Mexico, Hungary and Brazil and moved manufacturing to China. "If you look at the...

Expect more price erosion for SRAMs, but at lower rate. (Memory ICS).
April 17, 2003... The static random access memory (SRAM) chip market is in a major slump, battling severe price erosion, decreased demand and tough competition over the past year. The only saving grace for the SPAM market has been the continued demand from the...