As 2008 promises to be an exciting year for the steel industry, the London Metal Exchange is due to soft launch its long awaited billet contracts in February before full open-cry ring trading commences on the 28th of April. The New York Mercantile Exchange also plans to launch its first steel contract this year in the US with ambitions for a global contract, while the Dubai Gold and Commodity Exchange’s rebar contract launched electronically at the end of last year – already gaining liquidity and convergence with the physical market. The Platts Steel Futures conference offers a platform for educational engagement with futures exchange executives, derivative traders and steels financiers and a forum to discuss the possible effects and consequences these contracts could have on the existing commercial structure of the steel industry. Topics will include: Current regulatory climate for steel; Where do I start? How do I trade? Should I trade?; Is steel a commodity?; The effect futures and derivatives could have on steel markets; Steel hedging and price risk management; Steel price fundamentals; inventory and freight; floating prices; Can they work in the EU?; and Credit ratings, transparent pricing and its effect on EBITDA.
