The Shougang Corporation has continued to optimize the functions of its online trading platform, expand the range of auction categories and attract new customers; working to make the most of market opportunities while ensuring it meets the prevention and control requirements of the epidemic. In March, the monthly trading volume of its online trading platform reached 392 million yuan, a record high in the entire history of the platform.

Efficient coordination ensures smooth online transactions. The online trading business was greatly affected by the epidemic in February, with a significant decrease in sales and increased pressure on inventories. In order to quickly resume normal trading, the Shougang Joint Venture Center made careful arrangements for disease prevention, while ensuring the continuation of operational services. It adjusted sales strategies in a timely manner according to market conditions, and strived to maximize transaction volume while ensuring the marketization of transaction prices. Business groups performed their duties and cooperated successfully, and strived to promote the return of transactions on the platform to their normal state, during the extraordinary COVID-19 period. In order to understand market dynamics and customer needs, the resource marketing project team established an efficient communication mechanism with customers to quickly learn what customers wanted, and formulated a scientific and reasonable sales plan. So as to avoid any negative impacts on delivery, the company reached out to the relevant government departments to clarify new procedures and processes required for the entry and exit of vehicles, and passed this detailed information on to customers who had won bids in a timely manner. This maximized efficiency of customer delivery and reduced the company's inventory pressure. The resource storage and transportation project team overcame the difficulty of having insufficient personnel, quickly activated a second external warehouse, and scientifically organized the labeling, sealing, and shipping according to the sales plan to speed up delivery efficiency and reduce inventory. Statistical accounting personnel worked overtime to fill in the sales and settlement reports, prepare billing related documentation, and contact the financial department for billing on time.

With sensitivity to market trends, the company is actively expanding its range of auction varieties. Focusing on the original steel sales varieties, the Vocational Innovation Center delegated personnel to thoroughly investigate market conditions and price trends, and provide big data protection for online transactions. At the same time, the company also increased new product development and expanded the range of online sales types. 6 new products have been developed during the month, including aluminum-zinc slag and waste ditch materials. In particular, the company congregated water slag for first time, and organized a resource development project team to conduct in-depth market research, understand the market price of steel slag in major domestic regions, and begin to attract customers for this product and make full preparations for the online auction. On March 19 the company's two bids for a total of 25,000 tons of water slag online sales were successfully completed for the first time. On March 30, further sales of 20,000 tons of water slag was successfully completed. A solid customer base is the basis of online transactions. The sales professional management personnel overcame the negative impacts of the epidemic, and strengthened close communication with relevant industry personnel via the internet and over the phone, to actively expand the company’s existing customer base. In March, a total of 52 new customers were gained, and the online trading platform sold a total of 359,600 tons of various materials with a sales volume of 360 million yuan, including 43,000 tons of various materials for the joint-stock company with the sales of 130 million yuan.

Extending business scope helps to reduce costs and increase efficiency. The online trading platform has continuously improved its functionality, integrating sales, procurement, and tender invitations. The E-Commerce Center has tried every means to increase procurement and auction business, helping all units to reduce costs. In March, the online trading platform organized a total of 14 procurement and tender invitations. The procurement transaction volume reached 31.48 million yuan and the tender transaction volume reached 320,000 yuan. Among these sales, online purchases were conducted online via the online trading platform on a range of products, including Mike powder for Shougang Qian’an Iron & Steel Co., Ltd, ultra-fine high-density coated acrylic needle felt dust collecting bags, PTEE stain treatment material for ultra-fine high-density coated PPS needles felt filter bags for Shougang Tonggang Group, and elastic balance colloid, carbon agent CF-93 and canvas gloves for Shougang Shuicheng Iron & Steel (Group) Co., Ltd.