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Porter's Five Forces Model

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3. Please apply Porter’s Five Forces model to the steel industry. propose whether you think the steel industry is attractive industry or not an attractive industry.

The first force is competition in the industry and competition between firms in the steel industry is very high. There is intense competition at both the domestic and global level. In order for a firm to be profitable in the steel making industry, production levels need to be high, capacity levels need to be high, and workers have to use resources and inputs efficiently. Price and demand contribute to the high level of competition in the industry. There is a relatively weak demand for steel products in the U.S. when compared to years prior to the recession of 2008. There …show more content…

357). China is a primary source of competition on the global level but there are also two major competitors in the U.S. – ArcelorMittal USA and U.S. Steel. According to the text, “Consolidation of the industry into a smaller number of larger and more efficient steel producers had heightened competitive pressures for Nucor and most other steelmakers,” both ArcelorMittal and U.S. Steel are large companies and have their own competitive advantages and disadvantages when compared to Nucor (p. 359). The relatively small number of firms competing domestically and unfair trade practices abroad has created an intensely competitive environment in the industry. Each force has a high ability to impact profitability.

The potential threat of new entrants in the industry is a low threat. The most significant barrier to entry into the industry is the enormous capital requirement needed to build or purchase production plants. There are also various regulations imposed by the government (in the U.S. at least) in terms of environmental regulations, labor regulations for an industry with jobs that are potentially hazardous among other regulations the government imposes on firms in the industry. There is also a learning curve to producing steel products and meeting specific requirements of customers so a new entrant would either have to pay

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