Nippon Steel to take control of Thai tinplate venture

Nippon Steel has decided to massively increase its shareholding in the Thai maker of tinplate and tin-free steel, Siam Tinplate Co., Ltd. (STP) to give the Japanese steel giant near full management control over the maker, Nippon Steel announced on December 24.

STP, located in Rayong on Thailand’s eastern seaboard, hosts 140,000 tonnes/year tinplate production capacity and 120,000 tonnes/year of tin-fee steel capacity. It began production in 1992. Currently, STP is benefitting from the boom in demand from Thai canning factories canning Thai fruit and seafood, mostly for export. For now, STP is owned about