Outside the gate, a huge poster for "China New Polymer Structural Materials Forum and Business Fair" hangs from the roof of the exhibition center to the ground. These dozen large characters can be clearly seen from a distance.
Callum, Jofts and Lapaz dressed inconspicuously and followed the endless flow of people into the exhibition center.
In La Paz's view, this exhibition has nothing to do with Vale. He doesn't understand why China would send him such an invitation. Vale mines iron ore, and polymer materials rely on petroleum.
Chemical, coal chemical, salt chemical and other industries are completely incompatible with iron ore.
However, given that the negotiations with the Chinese side are currently at an impasse, and the company is interested in finding an opportunity to contact the Chinese side, La Paz feels that it is okay for him to take this opportunity to go to China, at least to explore the Chinese side.
Details.
What he didn't expect was that after President Callum and Director of Strategy Joefts learned about this, they immediately decided to go to China to participate in this forum at the same time. La Paz was suddenly reduced to a pitiful little follower.
.
The reason Callum decided to come to China to visit this forum was also because he wanted to take the opportunity to test China's attitude. In addition, he had an uneasy feeling about such an invitation that was obviously sent to the wrong target.
I feel that there seems to be some inexplicable connection between this forum and iron ore negotiations.
When entering, Callum concealed his identity and only asked Lapaz to register as a senior business manager of Vale. He and Joffs pretended to be Lapaz's assistants so as not to alert the Chinese organizers.
who revealed the company’s true trump card.
The hall of the exhibition center is divided into several parts, each of which corresponds to a theme. There are related to the application of plastic steel profiles, to the application of fiberglass reinforced plastics, and to polymer fibers replacing steel bars as reinforcing materials. Each area has
There are some samples of mature applications, such as plastic steel doors and windows for residential use, yachts and pressure vessels made of fiberglass, etc.
Guests from all over the world gathered in front of different booths according to their own interests. They communicated with the staff in the booth. Many people had excited smiles on their faces and carried several paper bags full of food in their hands.
Contains a variety of information.
"I don't see what this forum has to do with our Vale company. It's impossible for these materials to be used to make mining machinery. These are ordinary civilian products." Rapaz muttered.
Neither Callum nor Jofts paid attention to him. They crowded to each booth, carefully read the introduction text on the display board, and listened to the explanations of the staff. After passing four or five booths, the faces of the two people
It's already so cloudy that it looks like it's going to rain.
"Jofts, do you see what the Chinese are trying to do?" Callum asked in a low voice.
"I can see it..." Jofts replied, "It is indeed vicious."
"Mr. Callum, Mr. Joftz, I don't understand what you saw. These are polymer materials and have nothing to do with our iron ore," Lapaz said.
"It's precisely because they have nothing to do with iron ore that they are the scariest thing." Jofts said angrily.
"I don't understand..." Lapaz scratched his head and couldn't think of anything scary about this.
Joftz asked with some resentment: "Rapaz, don't you understand the topic of today's forum?"
"Isn't this a polymer materials forum?" Lapaz said.
Jofts said: "This is not just a polymer materials forum. The content exhibited here has a common theme, which is 'replacing steel with plastic'. Don't you understand?"
"Replacing steel with plastic?" La Paz looked back and glanced at the various booths they had just seen, and couldn't help but shuddered, right? All these booths were talking about the same thing, which was to replace steel with plastic.
The so-called replacement of steel with plastic means that in situations where steel is traditionally used, polymer materials, commonly known as plastics, are used to replace them. For example, iron doors and windows used in residential construction can be replaced with high-strength PVC materials.
Replacement, this is the so-called plastic steel doors and windows. Containers, pipes, etc. used in chemical production are traditionally made of steel, but on this forum, they are promoting the replacement of fiberglass.
Replacing steel with plastic is not a new concept. Some people have been doing this at least 20 years ago, and a lot of progress has been made. However, a forum like this one that promotes the use of plastic instead of steel on a large scale, according to
This impression of La Paz must be the first. Many of the technologies introduced at various booths are said to be at the forefront of international technology and have never been announced to the industry before this forum.
Why do the Chinese want to hold such a forum? La Paz thought clearly after turning his head for a moment. Since plastic is replacing steel, it means that the demand for steel will drop significantly. The demand for steel will decrease.
What is directly affected is the supply of iron ore. Vale's originally calculated global demand for iron ore will shrink significantly under the impact of plastic.
Of course, replacing steel with plastic cannot be achieved overnight. Whether it is changes in customer usage habits or an increase in the production capacity of new plastic materials, it will take a long time. However, the Chinese have such a posture and at the same time specifically
The invitation was sent to La Paz with a very obvious purpose, which was to issue a warning: If the price of Vale's iron ore is too high for China to accept, then China will consider a large increase in the use of plastics to reduce the use of steel.
dependence.
This move is called pulling fire under the cauldron, directly changing the global supply of iron ore from undersupply to oversupply. Once such a situation occurs, China will no longer need to beg international mining giants to provide iron ore, and these mining giants will in turn beg China.
Imported.
At this moment, with a burst of applause, a young man walked onto the stage located in the center of the exhibition hall. La Paz recognized that this young man was Qin Hai, who had given him a strong warning.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good morning!"
Qin Hai held a wireless microphone in his hand and spoke loudly to the guests in the exhibition hall.
The guests stopped making noise and turned their attention to Qin Hai on the stage.
"Today, we are holding such a forum on polymer structural materials here to share with colleagues around the world our new progress in the research of polymer structural materials, as well as the application practice of polymer structural materials to replace steel. As we all know, due to the cost of mining
Since the year before last, international iron ore prices have continued to rise. This year, several major iron ore suppliers have even proposed a request to increase the delivery price of iron ore by 70%.
Entrusted by colleagues in the Chinese steel industry, I went to Brazil to negotiate with Vale. Vale said that they had great cost pressure and could not lower the price of iron ore. They also told me that in the next few years, Vale would
In the middle of the year, iron ore will continue to grow, and we do not rule out the possibility of an increase of 100% or even 200% from the current price level."
Qin Hai talked freely to everyone.
La Paz's face turned a little pale. What Qin Hai said was indeed what he had said before. His purpose of saying these words was naturally to put pressure on China, but unexpectedly Qin Hai threw them out as arguments here.
Already.
"So, in the face of the unstoppable increase in iron ore prices, how should we respond?" Qin Hai asked mysteriously.
"Of course we should reduce the use of steel and replace it with other materials!" someone in the audience answered loudly.
"Well said, this gentleman's views are indeed insightful!" Qin Hai gave a thumbs up to the man in the audience. Callum and others in the crowd were so embarrassed that they didn't curse out loud. Damn, who doesn't know?
This is a request arranged by you. Please don't act so professionally, okay?
Qin Haicai didn't care that his performance was disappointing. He knew that what everyone cared about was not his acting skills, but what he wanted to say next.
"In response to the current situation of increasing steel costs, we have decided to carry out the practice of replacing steel with plastic on a large scale. As you have just seen, in many occasions where steel is traditionally used, plastic can perfectly replace it, and sometimes it can even
It has a better effect than steel. For example, using high-strength fiberglass to represent the steel to manufacture the main shaft and propeller of a ship's engine can completely solve the problem of steel materials being corroded by seawater and extend the maintenance cycle of the propeller by at least three times."
"Mr. Qin, are you sure that fiberglass can be used as an alternative material for propellers?" a bearded European in the crowd couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, we have done corresponding practices. Of course, the fiberglass we use has also been specially treated, and its strength is no less than ordinary alloy steel." Qin Hai replied.
"Are you willing to transfer this technology?" The Europeans directly asked the most critical question.
Qin Hai smiled slightly and said: "There is no problem. All the patented technologies exhibited in today's forum will be licensed to all manufacturers around the world who are interested in using these technologies. In order to promote the development of plastic instead of steel, all our patent licenses
The fee is only equivalent to 20% of the ordinary patent licensing fee!”
"20%!"
The crowd suddenly became restless. Everyone had seen the exhibition just now and knew that many of the technologies on display have great economic value. What everyone is most worried about is that the Chinese have set technology licensing fees too high, leading to the introduction of technology
After that, he could only work for the Chinese in vain. Now Qin Hai claims that the licensing fee is only equivalent to 20% of ordinary patents. This is like giving it for free. If you miss such a good thing, you will regret it for the rest of your life.
The faces of Callum and Jofts suddenly turned pale. (To be continued...)