On November 15, 2019, the three-day 12th Cairo International Steel and Metalworking Exhibition (Cairo Steel Expo) opened grandly at the Exhibition Center of the New Administrative Capital of Egypt. As the largest industry event in North Africa, the exhibition attracted more than 300 exhibitors from 35 countries around the world. China XX Steel Group made a high-profile appearance with its latest technological achievements and became one of the highlights of the exhibition.
1. China’s intelligent manufacturing becomes the “star” of the exhibition
On a special exhibition booth covering an area of 120 square meters, North China Iron and Steel Group exhibited the following products to the Middle East market for the first time with the theme of “Green Steel, Intelligent Manufacturing for the Future”:
New generation of corrosion-resistant rebar (CRB600H)
Intelligent continuous casting and rolling production line model
Specialized lightweight steel structure solution for photovoltaic power stations
AI-based steel defect detection system
“Our high-strength earthquake-resistant steel products are particularly suitable for large-scale infrastructure projects such as Egypt’s new capital.” Wang Lei, general manager of the International Business Department, introduced that “on the first day of the exhibition, we received officials from the Egyptian Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and more than 20 local developers.
2. China-Egypt cooperation welcomes new opportunities
At the “Belt and Road” Steel Industry Forum held at the same time as the exhibition, the Group signed a strategic agreement with the Egyptian Federation of Industries, including:
Co-construction of a steel structure processing center with an annual output of 500,000 tons in the Suez Canal Economic Zone
Provide rolling process technology training for the Egyptian side
Jointly develop special steels adapted to desert climates
Ahmed Samir, Minister of Trade and Industry of Egypt, said: “The experience of Chinese companies in arc furnace emission reduction and scrap steel utilization is the key technology needed for Egypt to achieve its 2030 industrial vision.”
3. Significant results in market development
According to on-site statistics, the Group achieved the following during the exhibition:
Intended orders: US$120 million (mainly from customers in Egypt and Algeria)
Signed local distributors: 3
Received invitations for joint ventures: 5
Marketing Director Li Na pointed out: “Compared with last year’s exhibition, this year’s customers who inquired about hot-rolled H-beams increased by 300%, which is directly related to the Egyptian government’s plan to build one million affordable housing units.”
IV. Cultural integration promotes business exchanges
The team specially prepared an Arabic version of the product manual and hired local international students as translators. At the “Chinese Tea Break” held on the last day of the exhibition, Egyptian customers praised the combination of jasmine tea and dates, and the relaxed atmosphere led to multiple cooperation intentions.
“Through the exhibition, we deeply feel that the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative is making Chinese standards and Egyptian needs produce a chemical reaction.” General Manager Wang Lei said at the summary meeting that the group has decided to set up a permanent office in Cairo to continue to deepen the North African market.
This exhibition not only brought direct business returns, but also allowed Chinese companies to keenly capture new opportunities under Egypt’s import substitution policy. With the deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Egypt, the role of steel as a link between basic industries is becoming increasingly prominent.