Liverpool woos local steel exporters

Frank Robotham, Mersey Docks
marketing
director and Michael Moyles, Sanchez UK chief
executive, during their visit to South Africa.A SHIPMENT OF 5000 tons of steel wire rod from South Africa will be delivered in Liverpool in mid-July marking the beginning of this countryÕs exports through the new specialised R40 million dedicated steel terminal in the Port of Liverpool.
The rods are used in the manufacture of wire mesh for reinforced concrete by Sanchez UK, the leading manufacturer of the product in Britain, whose chief executive Michael Moyles visited South Africa recently to oversee the dispatch of the consignment.
During his visit he called on South African steel manufacturers to step up their export marketing drive to the UK, where major opportunities to increase sales exist, he said.
The Liverpool terminal is designed to handle 800 000 tons of imported steel annually with specially trained staff who follow specific procedures to streamline handling and maintain product integrity to expedite delivery to users.
Accompanying Moyles was Frank Robotham, marketing director for Mersey Docks, who said that piggybacking on shipments like the 5000 tons can create economies of scale to give South African exporters additional cost advantage. This, he said, can mean significant competitive advantage for South African steel.