THE NEW STRONGER LIGHTER STEEL TO BE MANUFACTURED OUTSIDE OF JAPAN - AS THE UHTSS IS 3 TIMES STRONGER THAN PRESENT STEEL FOR AUTOMAKERS - AS THE US STATE OF ALABAMA TO PRODUCE 120,000 TONS FOR NIPPON STEEL AND SUMITOMO METAL PLANT AND KOBE STEEL AND JFE STEEL TO MANUFACTURE ITS BRAND OF UHTSS IN CHINA

Japanese steel manufacturers plan to begin overseas production of a stronger and lighter material.

Ultra-high tensile strength steel, or UHTSS, has 3 or more times the strength of other types of steel. Automakers have begun using this material in Japan to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel efficiency.

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal plans to start annual production of 120,000 tons of the material at its plant in the US state of Alabama this year.

Kobe Steel intends to begin producing ultra-high tensile strength steel at its factory in the Chinese province of Liaoning this spring. The plant is under construction.

JFE Steel is also scheduled to start making ultra-high tensile strength steel at one of its plants in China, Thailand or India by the end of the year.

The firms aim to market the material to Japanese automakers operating in those nations. They hope that it will be seen as an alternative to carbon fiber and aluminum for manufacturing auto parts.

 http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20160103_19.html