It has been 40 years since Kobe Steel's copper rolled product business first specialized in rolled-copper products for electrical and electronics applications, and a quarter century has passed since the company began actively developing business outside Japan. Five years ago, the company established a trilateral system for supplying rolled-copper products, the system consisting of three sites, one in Asia, another in North America and yet another in Europe. This paper reviews the history of the company's global business development up to date, analyzes the current issues on the basis of comparison with competing non-Japanese manufacturers of wrought copper and copper alloy products and describes the global business strategies, demand, and technical trends in the future. In developing rolled-copper products for electrical and electronics applications, including copper alloys for automotive terminals, it is believed to be important to follow the trends of automobiles, which are expected to be reborn as new mobility, and to acquire a high level of ability in responding quickly to rapidly changing user needs.
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