China’s auto and shipbuilding industries may consume 15 million tons and 13 million tons of steel respectively this year, predicated by experts at the 2nd Chinese Steel Distributors Summit Forum held on August 8 in Zhengzhou, Henan. Sales of vehicles are expected to top 11 million units in 2009, compared with 9.38 million units last year, said Shi Jianhua, vice general secretary of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The proportion of sheet to structural steel to be consumed this year would be three to one. Section, medium plate, sheet, strip, premium steel and pipe are among the most used varieties in the auto sector. Among 13 million tons of steel to be consumed by shipbuilders, ship plate will take 11.7 million tons, section and ball flat steel will hold 1.2 million tons and pipe will require 400,000 tons, according to Tan Naifen, vice president of China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry.