BNamericas reported that the International Iron Metallics Association has high hopes for the organization's consolidation in 2012.

Mr Alberto Hassan president of the executive committee told BNamericas that "We expect membership to increase since a lot of people are interested in becoming part of the organization."

The IIMA, which has 86 members from 30 countries, was formed by a merger of the Hot Briquetted Iron Association and the International Pig Iron Association. It is responsible for promoting the use of these metals in the steel and smelting industries.

He said that "That doesn't mean that we are replacing scrap. On the contrary, we complement it. Low quality scrap can be used with the products that we promote to get high quality steel."

If a producer wants to make structural steel such as rebar or profiles for construction, neither briquettes nor pig iron are necessary since it can be done with any kind of ferrous scrap because it is not the physical appearance that is being sold, but the resistance, according to the executive.

Mr Hassan said that "But when you're going to produce flat products, especially for the auto, furniture or large appliance industries, where surface quality is extremely important, then it's necessary to use low residue metals such as briquettes and pig iron."

The organization, which began operating on January 1st 2012, comprises producers and traders of iron ore and pig iron, producers of hot briquetted iron and direct reduced iron, consumers and companies associated with base metals, as well as suppliers of technology and equipment, transport and logistics providers and consultants.

(Sourced from www.bnamericas.com)