At least more than 300 people came to the meeting. Most of these people were the mainstay of Argentina, including some political figures, the heads of the three major steel plants in the country, and some investors. In fact, the largest number were reporters from major newspapers. This is big news.
St. Hesse showed full confidence, and the atmosphere was not very warm. He started today's speech directly, and the place became quiet.
“Welcome to today’s Steel Wealth Conference. Let’s attend the conference together today. Let’s cheer for our steel dream.
Food and steel are the two most important raw materials. Food can keep people alive, and steel can make people live well. "
Saint Jose quoted a sentence as the opening remarks, which attracted everyone's attention and transformed into a dream mentor, but the scene was still cold.
"Actually, everyone knows that the Argentine Import and Export Trade Association was established some time ago, marking the reopening of our country's trade, lobbying Congress,
We in Argentina are an agricultural country. Compared with industrial countries, due to the huge gap in competitive strength between the two sides, just like children competing with adults, it is difficult for our country's infant industries to compete equally with similar industries in industrial countries, so export tariffs must be reduced. "
St. Hesse did not forget the purpose of promoting tariff reform and once again promoted it. This was a theory of infant industrial protection.
"Let me tell you that last year's steel production was 400,000 tons, and the import volume was 200,000 tons, mostly from Brazil. The Americans, the world's number one, produced 90 million tons, more than 20 times ours. This is why our country needs to protect The reason for the young steel industry.”
St. Jose asked his assistant to unfold the huge report drawing, which counted the growth data of various industrial countries in the past six years after World War II. Argentina was not even on the list. In addition to a handful of European countries, there were also Japan, the United States, Brazil, Canada and other countries. Both are above 1.5 million tons.
This made the Argentinians at the scene, who pride themselves on being a major South American country, a little embarrassed. Especially the representative of Bilon had a dark face, and the other people's faces were not good-looking either. The gap seemed really big.
"Steel is the basic raw material for the development of industry. Almost all machinery and equipment must be made of steel, and almost all daily necessities must also use steel. If the output of steel is not high, it will be impossible to develop industry."
Several heads of steel plants, including the Ministry of Industry and Bilong representatives, all agreed. Bilong himself also supports industrialization. Due to inherent shortcomings and poor implementation, the First Five-Year Plan has not been very good in recent years. The fastest-growing industries are light industries such as the textile industry, and many equipment are imported, such as telephone lines imported from General Electric.
"The steel industry is the core of the economy, the lifeblood of the country, the material guarantee for the country's survival and development, and the food for industry. It is the most used metal by humans and has wide applications in all fields of social production and life. It is Indispensable strategic basic industrial products.
The industrial processes of the United States, Britain, France, the Soviet Union, Germany, and Japan all started with investment in steel plants. Without steel, there would be no other industrial products, no high-rise buildings, and no guns, cars, and ships. "
The steel growth data of several major countries since the 19th century are listed, including several key years highlighted.
St. Hesse is not alarmist. The rise of all modern industrial countries basically starts with investment in steel.
After World War II, a global steel power emerged in East Asia - South Korea. The funds for the construction of their steel plants came from Japan's US$300 million war reparations.
With the establishment of South Korea's Pohang Steel Plant and Sunshine Steel Plant, South Korea truly began to become an economic power in later generations, starting with the first blast furnace of the Pohang Steel Plant.
The first blast furnace of the Pohang Steel Plant was a 1 million-ton blast furnace. It took 5 years from 1968 to 1973. St. Hesse's goal is to spend 3-5 years to build three large blast furnaces and five converters. It is a long-term and ambitious development goal to build other supporting facilities and become a large-scale steel complex with an annual output of 5 million tons.
"I don't know if you have read such a book "How Steel Was Tempered". I won't talk about this book today, but just learn from it."
"This book tells people by narrating the growth path of the protagonist that only when a person connects his pursuit with the interests of the country and the people can he create miracles and grow into a steel warrior."
The people present did not know why Saint Jose mentioned this book, and they were a little confused. Most people had not read this book. It was written by the Soviets.
"Then I will target the steel plant. The steel plant represents the interests of our country. In fact, it is highly consistent with the interests of everyone here. Why do you say that only when the country is strong can the people be prosperous? Do you agree with this statement? "
The people present thought about it secretly and expressed their agreement, but no one answered. Saint Jose continued to talk, and Tuo couldn't speak. Saint Jose gradually became better.
"In my opinion, the steel industry is the most important basic industry and the basis for the development of all other industries. Everyone knows that Argentina is actually an agricultural country, but if we have steel, we will be an industrial country..."
St. Jose once again boasted about the importance of steel and combined steel development with national development, which made people in the Radical Party and the military feel that although this little guy boasted a lot, he was still very patriotic.
"Let me briefly introduce the four major parts of steel production, which can be divided into mining, ironmaking, steelmaking, and steel rolling..."
St. Jose once again asked his assistant to change a huge picture, marking the various production steps of steel and various supporting facilities.
Two of the layouts made by San Jose have been completed, Thunder Mining and Steel Rolling Mills. They only need to expand the scale and de-mining.
Now only ironmaking and steelmaking are left. The representative buildings of these two parts are the blast furnace and the converter. This year, scientists from the Voestalpine Smelting Plant invented the oxygen converter.
The initials of the place name are also called LD furnace. This is also Voestalpine's great contribution to the progress of the metallurgical industry. The converter has also become Voestalpine's sharp sword. This is the confidence of St. Hesse. This technology will rule the future of steel in the 60s and 70s. years, very advanced.
As for the construction of blast furnaces, the technology is very mature. The difficulty lies in the equipment and the construction period, but it is also easy to solve.
"Then we finally come to the purpose of today's meeting. We are cooperating with two of the most advanced steel plants in Europe to provide everyone here with production technology and production equipment. Now they are ready to return to China to help us build the steel industry in Argentina. , this is a great progress..."
Saint Jose stood up suddenly, his eyes filled with tears, and he waved his fist vigorously, his voice was hoarse.
"I believe we will soon be able to build more advanced steel plants, far surpassing the Brazilians, becoming a world-class steel power, and re-realizing Argentina's national recovery..."
Sanjesé said these words to the three major steel plants. He wanted to set off an arms race among steel plants and expand Argentine steel.
"Now a 500,000-ton steel plant has an investment of 5 million U.S. dollars. After mass production, the selling price of one ton of steel is 220 U.S. dollars. The profit is calculated as 30%. The cost can be recovered in two years, and then it will be pure profit... …”
With so much laying the groundwork ahead, San Jose showed its fangs, raised funds to build a steel plant, and embraced Argentina's future.
St. Hesse boasted so much, but did not inform the people present of the risks. He just bragged wildly, and also applied some traditional sales techniques of later generations. He was crazy about Amway and had the temperament of a liar.
The scene suddenly became fanatical, and everyone was a little crazy. The profits of steel are so high, why should I still farm? Except for a few people who can calm down and figure out the difficulties behind it.
"We offer three ways of cooperation. The first is to invest in bonds and invest in the La Plata Steel Plant. The second is that we provide resources and technology and build the factory ourselves. The third is that we only provide channels for you to cooperate directly. …Investing in a steel plant is investing in the future of our country…”
The speech quickly reached the peak of the atmosphere. Saint Jose played on the stage for more than an hour. The atmosphere immediately exploded. Everyone became irrational and eager to make a fortune. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, even if If you don't understand business management, you can invest in bonds.
This made San Jose see the simple Argentine tycoons who had been cheated by the Bilon government for too long. They became rude and he was like a devil, tempting them to take action.
Saint-Jesse sent personnel on the spot to discuss cooperation. The National Taxation Bureau, the stock exchange, and the bank endorsements, as well as the credibility of Rennes Military Industry, the Radical Party, and the military, clearly indicate that this is a genuine investment in steel projects.
St. Jose underwrote a total of 18.76 million US dollars in corporate bonds, far exceeding the target. It also sold 7 steel plants and 6 cooperation opportunities.
This Steel Wealth Conference was a complete success. It was the first large-scale financial event in Argentina's history. It also allowed Saint Jose to see Argentina's terrifying private wealth. As long as it was not looted, they had enough idle funds.
The dignitaries at the scene, like Arturo, all had one idea in their minds.
"This guy is a talented guy. He's really good at blowing stuff. If you can win over him, maybe he'll be another spicy guy?"
…
This meeting was a success, and the bank was convinced. Once the funds are in place, we can start building our own steel plant immediately. We sent a telegram to the steel rolling mill and contacted the Port of La Plata to build the ore terminal. OK, reserve minerals in advance.
San Jose is imperative for the development of Argentina's steel industry, and two negotiations with Europe have reached new goals.
After the negotiations with Prali International were completed, a cargo ship was chartered to transport the necessary production facilities out of Austria, and people from the Austrian United Steel Works,
A luxury team has been dispatched, and the first deposit has been transferred to the Austrian account. The Austrian people now have the most advanced steel technology in the world.
They have a new invention of the steel converter, Little Knicks has caught up with the good times, and Austrian Steel is also eager to monetize these technologies. Austria needs funds to rebuild the factory in Vienna, and the assistance from the Americans is not enough.
Because Austria was a German-occupied country in World War II, after the Soviets entered Vienna, they first demolished everything that could be demolished in the Soviet-occupied area and transported it back to the country. Then the Soviet Union required Austria to pay US$250 million in compensation to the Soviet Union as a "defeated country" within 6 years. It will be paid off in exchange of materials.
The Americans are definitely not happy. The Soviet Union is trying its best to stay in East Austria, intending to turn East Austria into a satellite state of the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union now has 600,000 troops stationed in East Austria, posing great pressure on the West, but the situation is improving. Americans do not agree with the Soviets, especially Stalin's strength. There is no way that Western and Central Europe will fall into the hands of the Soviets. , even if the United States suffered a huge failure in Asia.
Many factories in Austria are being rebuilt and are now working hard to resume production. The Viennese people highly recognize the hand of friendship extended by the Argentinians, and Prali International has also had contact with the Rennes military industry who secretly went to West Germany.
Therefore, the progress in Austria was relatively smooth, so Oliensteel sent a technical team of several hundred people to cross the border from Vienna via waterway, and then went to Argentina. Prali International also recruited thousands of Austrian workers locally to directly package A cargo ship was purchased, which was approved by Saint Jose.
On the Belgian side, their steel plants have also agreed to negotiate and are preparing to go to Argentina for assistance. The Belgians are very advanced in blast furnace ironmaking.
It is also good at the construction of various supporting facilities such as more advanced coal chemical industry, electric power, coking, etc. The La Plata Steel Plant recruited more than 500 people at one time and used railway transportation to transport various dismantled steel plant equipment. Belgium’s steel industry is currently It was suppressed by both the powerful France and the resurgent West Germany, and Belgium's coal and iron mainly came from the Ruhr area.
The cost limit is very high, so we are willing to cooperate with the Argentinians. After all, Belgium also wants to eliminate some old equipment. These second-hand equipment are very advanced for Argentina.
In contrast, other countries are not willing to lose their country's steel industry. Fortunately, Europe is not a country, otherwise St. Hesse would have to look for technology from Japan.
Although the European Coal and Steel Community has been established, the main influence is on the French and Germans, and the other four small countries are only supporting roles. Even if the treaty stipulates that Belgian steel plants can obtain cheaper raw materials, the priority is still not as high as that of Germany and France. This makes The Belgians were helpless.
…
The work during this period is very simple, which is to raise money to do things. Bank loans are not that easy to get, and raising funds is not that easy. Even if there is a guarantee, the bank is still worried, so Saint Jose also needs a wealth conference. Boost the confidence of these people.
Apparently, he succeeded.
The business environment in Argentina is actually very average, and the development of the financial industry is even more average. People are not willing to invest money in industry. It is impossible for San Jose to invest all its cash flow into this huge investment steel plant. It also needs Only with the help of external forces.
Currently, it usually takes two or three years to invest in the construction of a large-scale steel plant. He also needs to set aside some money for backup. After several financial calculations, this investment requires at least 50 million U.S. dollars. St. Jose raised this time The funding was far more than 45 million US dollars, but 57.78 million US dollars, far exceeding the target.
In fact, the original US$45 million was not enough. It was only the funds needed to build steel plants and supporting facilities. The raw materials could only be sourced from abroad. Saint Jose had two goals in mind. One was the iron ore in Bolivia, which would be enough to cope with the situation in the next few decades. Iron ore is needed, but the investment is huge.
The second is the undiscovered iron ore in Western Australia. This investment is much smaller, but it is a challenge to transport. Moreover, the Australian coal mines are also of high grade, so they can be solved together.
Brazilian iron ore is only the third choice, but it is the only choice at present. Prali has signed a contract with Brazil's Vale because Brazil and Argentina naturally cannot deal with each other, and they have to guard against it.
After talking about raw materials, there is also port construction. At present, the draft of La Plata Port is less than 10 meters, and it can only dock cargo ships of less than 20,000 tons. This is very unreliable. If you want to safely dock cargo ships of 50,000 tons, then The best draft is 12 meters, which is also a lot of money.
It is a pity that Argentina lacks deep-water ports for shipping. But if we have money in the future, it will not be a problem to build more artificial ports or even land reclamation and build a harbor.
This steel conference also had an unexpected benefit, which was to publicize the theory of infant industrial protection. At least it would gain a few more allies and gain recognition from many people. This would allow St. Hesse to prepare a lot more customs tariff targets in the future. volume.
These two things are actually going on simultaneously. The steel plant is an unexpected surprise and has also become a breakthrough in tariff reform.
This speech was widely publicized by major newspapers, and Saint Jose's popularity also increased a lot. Such a patriot should be respected and loved by many people. Saint Jose boasted about himself, and a series of fine selections were made. Carefully selected photos were selected, and articles began to be widely circulated.
"An Argentinian's Dream of a Steel Empire" quickly spread throughout the country.
The article "Investing in Steel is Investing in Argentina's Future" has also been reprinted many times.
"The Theory of Iron Power", the Idea of the Young Saint Jose Cohen"
"Don't let the Patriots down, we need more Iron Warriors"
"On the Importance of Steel and the Industrialization of Argentina"
The Radical Party also began to speak out intensively, attacking the customs tariffs as unreasonable. Xin'a Newspaper immediately followed up and reprinted the news. The storm of public opinion started again, and this time it was serious.
The blue faction of the military also began to speak out, dissatisfied with the Bilong government's tariff policy.
Economics professors began to publish various new economics research materials,
The Socialist Vanguard followed up,
Radical Putrajaya Daily followed up…
Industry associations follow up,
Finally, the union followed up,
The short-term balance was broken again, and national public opinion suddenly turned to criticize Bilong's customs tariff policy.
It is profoundly pointed out that the time for Argentina to change has come. The existing customs tariff policy cannot meet the needs of Argentina's industrial and commercial development.
The amount of tariffs is increasing, but the annual customs tax revenue is decreasing.
The article "On the Ten Crimes of High Customs Import and Export Tariffs" was groundbreaking and truly shocked all Argentines.
"The Disadvantages of Excessively High Customs Tariffs"
"Bilong doesn't understand economics, it's time for customs tariff reform"
Different from the original praise, now more intensive criticism has arrived!
steal fragrance
