Bradford: China to Focus More on Quality than Quantity in the Future

Nations all over the globe, including the United States, blame China for its wanton overproduction of steel and predatory trade practices such as dumping and intellectual property theft. But veteran steel analyst Chuck Bradford of Bradford Research in New York sees the Chinese becoming less of a threat to free trade over time. Recently back from one of his many visits to China, Bradford believes the Chinese have made a legitimate strategic decision to focus more on quality than quantity in the production of steel and other products.

He points to the past as his guide, using Japan as a case in point. In the 1980s, it was the Japanese mills that were accused of dumping steel on the world market. Japanese manufacturers were best known for making cheap transistor radios and cars that were quick to rust. Today, Japanese-made electronics and luxury cars are prized by consumers and command premium prices. Japanese steelmakers have a reputation for producing some of the finest steels in the world.