On July 31, Hunan Province-based Chinese steelmaker Hengyang Valin Steel Tube Co. (Hengsteel), a subsidiary of Hunan Valin Iron and Steel Group Co., announced that in the first half of the current year its domestic order volumes amounted to 343,000 mt, up 46,700 mt year on year, with the average monthly domestic order volume up 7,780 mt compared to the monthly average in the first half of 2012.
Hengsteel had increased its focus on developing new products in 2012, with its sales in the given year of newly-developed products, including large diameter gas cylinder tubes and underwater line pipes, amounting to 350,000 mt.