wiredinUSA October 2019

China’s August figures

Network spread

Dr Hassan Abbas

The average operating rates across Chinese manufacturers of wires and cables declined during August, due to a seasonal lull, but the decline was underpinned by brisk orders from downstream sectors of solar photovoltaic and super-high pressure cable. The latest survey from industry analysts SMM showed that the average run-rate across Chinese wire and cable producers fell 0.32 percentagepoint fromJuly to standat 91.16 percent in August. This is 2.72 percentage points higher than a year ago. As China’s wire and cable industry becomes increasingly concentrated in large companies, small and medium- sized producers are struggling to maintain normal operations on smaller orders and slower cash flow, and this is said to account for the lower August rates. The ratio of raw material inventories to monthly output at Chinese wire and cable producers decreased 1.7 percentage points to 25.63 percent in August, as fluctuating copper prices and a mixed outlook made producers reluctant to stockpile. SMM understood that inventories of finished products were high across copper rod producers.

Tanzania Telecommunications Company Ltd (TTCL) has plans to roll out a high-speed fiber optic cable network to Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states. Director of Tanzania Information Services Department and chief government spokesperson Dr Hassan Abbas confirmed that the cable is already routed to Zambia and Malawi. The network will serve as a foundation for SADC states to foster the digital economy. The infrastructure is critical to ensure an increase in the use of, and access to, the Internet.

wiredInUSA October 2019

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