Scarce metals have become so expensive that thieves are literally dying to get their hands on them. To combat the effects of these prices, supply chain managers and purchasers should reassess their risk strategies.
Scarce metals have become so expensive that thieves are literally dying to get their hands on them. To combat the effects of these prices, supply chain managers and purchasers should reassess their risk strategies.
In the United States, the cold-rolled-steel sheet and strip index advanced 7.6 percent in March following a 4.2-percent decline in February,"says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices for hot-rolled-steel sheet and strip, aluminum mill shapes, nonferrous wire and cable, secondary aluminum and copper and brass mill shapes advanced at faster rates compared with the prior month.
In Canada, "on average, the industrial price of primary metals rose just over 10 percent in 2007, following industrial booms in China and India, which has fortified prices for such commodities as nickel, gold and other primary metals,"according to Statistics Canada.
