The review of China stainless pipe capacity expansion for 2007 is as follow.

1. Jiangsu Wuxi Huixin Stainless Pipe Company started operation in April

Huixin Steel is a Taiwan-based steel company, whose parent corporation ranks among world top three and as Taiwan's largest in stainless steel pipe production. Its first phase project in Xishan development zone, Wuxi city of Jiangsu Province is aimed to make 40,000 tonnes per year product of this kind.

2. South China based Japanese stainless pipe maker expanded output by 30% in summer

A South China based Japanese stainless pipe plant expanded capacity by 30% in summer, mainly making pipes applied in auto exhaust system. Prior to this, the plant's pipe output was some 500 tonnes per month.

3. Taigang stainless seamless pipe project completed at end of 2007

China's largest stainless steel producer Taiyuan Iron & Steel Co began building the world's largest stainless seamless pipe project in 2007, at cost of about CNY 800 million with a planned capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year. The project started construction as of Mar and was finished by year end.

4. China Baofeng Started up 15,000 tonnes per year stainless pipe item

China Baofeng Special Steel Company Limited got a plant in Songyang Industrial Park in Zhejiang Province to make 15,000 tonnes stainless seamless pipe per annum. It is further considering adding welded pipe production in the second phase, slated for operation in June 2008.

5. Zhejiang Taigang Stainless Steel Group Company Limited sent 10,000 tonnes per year stainless pipe project into operation in August 2007.

Zhejiang Taigang Stainless Steel Group Company Limited plunged CNY 150 million setting up 15 drawing lines to make stainless seamless pipes of various standards and materials in Cangnan. Diameter of the products will range from 20mm to 325mm. The company was named Zhejiang Jugang Pipe.

6. Zhejiang Longda Stainless Steel Company Limited added 6 lines that were brought into operation in September 2007

Zhejiang Longda Stainless Steel Company Limited located in Songyang Industrial Park, ran a two phase item: first have 9 drawing lines with 10,000 tonnes per year capacity, and the second 4 cold drawn lines scheduled to operate this August 2008 and produce stainless pipes with diameter ranging from 18mm to 114mm.

7. Tsing Shan Holding Group is constructing a 250mu stainless pipe mill

Tsing Shan Steel Pipe Co and Zhejiang Tailang Pipe Co, both belonged to Tsing Shan Holding Group, have monthly output of 800 tonnes to 1000 tonnes respectively. And another subsidiary Zhejiang Longgang Pipe Company has planed to operate the abulding stainless pipe mill in Longgang Industrial Park within 2008.

8 Zhejiang Dada Stainless Steel had 9 lines operated in June

Zhejiang Dada Stainless Steel Company Limited has the first phase project commissioned in June with designed capacity of 10,000 tonnes. Aside, the second phase item, expected to have over 10 large, medium and small caliber welded pipe lines is in the pipeline to raise the company's total capacity to 20,000 tonnes per year.

9. Zhejiang Jiaxing Shangshang Stainless Pipe Co Comes on Stream

Zhejiang Jiaxing Stainless Shangshang Pipe Plant came on stream, with a capacity of 40,000 tonnes per year pipes with diameter ranging from 6mm to 732mm, wall thickness of 1mm to 40mm and length of 18000mm at most. The product will mainly be 300 series austenitic.

10. Yinlai Pipe added 9 machine tools in November

Zhejiang Yinlai Steel Pipe Company Limited was set up in Feb and the phase 1 was commissioned in December 2006, incl. 9 lines with capacity of 8000 tonnes per year and is producing seamless pipes with a diameter of 6mm to 159mm. Slated for operation in November, the phase 2 is to add 9 machine tools, 4 rolling mills and 4 cold drawing mills so as to raise monthly output by 300 tonnes.

11. Jiangsu Yonghe had 9 welded pipe lines started

JiangSu YongHe Pipe Industrial Company Limited introduced in 9 pipe lines from abroad in first phase project that started trial production from October and came into official operation in November. Its monthly capacity reached 1000 tonnes.

12. Zhejiang Pengye third-phase project started production in October

Zhejiang Pengye Steel Pipe Company limited has its third phase project start operation in October incl. 8 production lines and one of them is a 830 broaching machine. The products are mainly large caliber stainless seamless pipes with largest diameter up to 830mm and the monthly capacity, 400 tonnes.

13. Huzhou Baohua sent 4 lines on stream

Huzhou Baohua Stainless Steel Pipe Company limited added four bright annealing lines, which were put into operation by end of September or early October mainly to make stainless welded pipe.

14. Wenzhou Futian had two new lines

Wenzhou Futian Stainless Steel Company limited added two new lines in October to produce ½ to 6 inch boiler pipes with GMP 249 standard. Its annual capacity reported 600 tonnes.

15. Zhejiang Longda phase 2 adds a 18 inch broacher

Zhejiang Longda Stainless Steel Company Limited ordered an extra 18 inch broacher for the second phase project, which was formerly scheduled for operation in August. The added broacher is expected to produce large caliber stainless seamless pipe with largest diameter of 1000mm and length of 15 meter.

16. Tsing Shan Holding and POSCO found a ferronickel plant

Tsing Shan Holding Group and Zhangjiagang-Pohang Stainless Steel Company Limited jointly invested a ferronickel plant in Henan Province, scheduled to come into operation officially on September 28 with a designed ferronickel output of 300,000 tonnes per year.

17. Walsin Lihwa funded USD 100 million in Changshu, Jiangsu Province

Taiwan based Walsin Lihwa Corp poured USD 100 million to expand Changshu Walsin Specialty Steel Company Limited's annual capacity to 50,000 tonnes. The whole project is slated for completion in 2008, and the company is further considering to develop 2205, 600 and 800 series products to feed the market.

18. Zhejiang Kanglong sets to start second-phase project in 2008

Zhejiang Kanglong has finished factory construction of the second phase and is ordering equipments for producing even-walled stainless seamless pipe for industry use in 2008.

19. Shanghai Sunzone operated 60mm diameter rolling mill

Shanghai Sunzone Steel Pipe Company Limited bought a 60mm rolling mill to produce high quality, even walled 38/32*1.5/1.2 seamless pipes from December.

20. Shanghai Tianbao started up in succession

Shanghai Tianbao Stainless Steel Company Limited has had 9 rolling mills, 7 broachers come on stream since its inauguration in September, with monthly capacity reported at 500 tonnes. The facilities were under trial in December and set to start official operation early 2008.

21. Zhejiang Tengyu Stainless Steel Pipe Company Limited aims at 10,000 tonnes per year welded pipe

Zhejiang Tengyu Stainless Steel Pipe Company Limited started operation from June and has had monthly stainless welded pipe of close to 300 tonnes. The company schedules to own five production lines within three years with a capacity up to 10,000 tonnes per year.

22. TBS 10,000 tonnes per year seamless pipe project sent into operation

TBS's stainless seamless pipe production base in Jinshan district has completed, with total fund of CNY 250 million. Its annual capacity reaches 10,000 tonnes per year.

23. Zhejiang Yida to start 830 cold drawn pipe lines

Zhejiang Yida Special Steel Company Limited will have the imported reducer and the whole set of equipments start in 2008, which is expected to produce 830mm seamless pipe for industry use. According to official source, as China's largest cold drawn pipe line, this set of equipment will cost CNY 10 million.