Operating Rates at Electric Wire and Cable Producers up to 78.94% in March

SHANGHAI, Apr. 2 (SMM) - A recent SMM survey of 22 major electric wire and cable producers (total capacity: 1.02 million mt) shows that operating rate at domestic electric wire and cable producers averaged at 78.94% in March, up both on a monthly and yearly basis. The production level in March was higher than the 2012 average rate of 74.5%.

In March, the improvement in production was due mainly to significant increases in operating rate at large producers, up by 10.8% from January to 82.55%. Medium producers also staged higher operating rates, up by 6.63% to 72.9%. Production at small producers, however, remained below 60% in March. The surveyed producers told SMM that orders had grown from State Grid, commercial property and metro lines since mid March, but mainly went to large producers, and the improvement in orders for small and medium producers improved marginally. As China Southern Power Grid has not started its 2013 bidding project, operating rates at producers in the specific region were low due to the lack of orders.