Alkavex, the steel trading arm of Alkagesta, has undertaken business development visits in Tangshan and Tianjin, China, meeting steelmakers, traders, processors and industry representatives. In an account published on its website, Alkagesta said the engagements formed part of continuing efforts to develop its commercial activities in the country and strengthen the relationships supporting regional steel sourcing and trading.
Bayram Bayramli, Alkagesta’s China Business Developer, led the programme. According to the company, the meetings provided first-hand insight into manufacturers’ production capabilities, the infrastructure supporting steel supply chains and opportunities for international trade. The participants included industry associations as well as businesses involved in making, processing and trading steel, giving the visits a scope extending across several parts of the supply chain.
Alkagesta described Tangshan and Tianjin as jointly forming one of China’s most important corridors for steel production and exports. It said the engagements reinforced the commercial relationships on which Alkavex’s sourcing and trading operations in the area depend. The company presented the visits as part of its ongoing work in China, where the venture primarily sources the semi-finished and finished steel products that constitute its initial focus.
Based in Malta, Alkavex is a joint venture between Alkagesta and French steel trading company Navex SAS. Alkagesta owns a majority stake. The venture links its China-focused sourcing activities with customers in West and East Africa, placing the Chinese meetings within the context of its stated trading model and geographical market focus.
Alkagesta said Alkavex combines market knowledge with logistics capabilities and trade finance solutions to serve those African markets. Its customer offering is intended to support what the company described as growing regional demand associated with construction, manufacturing and infrastructure development. These sectors underpin the venture’s stated focus on supplying both semi-finished and finished steel.