Domestic market is still indifferent despite steelmakers' completion of the related development In order to expand Cr-free steel sheet market which has emerged as a major topic of the talks in domestic steel industry due to the environmental problem and toxic substance of the existing steel sheets, some positive cooperation by major domestic consumers including electric home appliance makers and automakers for their early application of these products is known to be urgently needed. Domestic major cold-rolled steel sheet (CR) makers including POSCO, Hyundai HYSCO, Dongbu Steel and Union Steel have been enthusiastic for the development of Cr-free products, as advanced countries like Japan and others in the EU are moving to make it compulsory to use Cr-free steel sheets. However, domestic market has still showed cool reaction to Cr-free steel sheets, although those domestic steelmakers have developedtheir new steel products without chrome that is classified as a heavy metal harmful to human body, according to industry sources. An official at CR maker said, ‘We developed and commercialized CR-free products a long time ago, but consumers are not buying them for the reason that they are so expensive. We are receivingonly small orders from a limited number of customers. It seems that there is some actual difference between the overseas consumers' requirement for environmentally friendly steel sheets that are harmless to human body and the demand for steel sheets in the domestic market.‘ Another official at a steelmaker said, ‘Major domestic electric home appliance makers andautomakers announced that they would increase the use of Cr-free steel sheets from 2005, but the market size for such products is so small at present that buyers are limited, although we have already developed them.‘ It may be difficult to say that there is no connection with the weak foundation for demand for such steel sheets that those CR makers who have already developed Cr-free steel sheets are pushing ahead with some authentication by overseas consumers includingthose in Japan prior to their performance tests by domestic consumers. Regarding such a trend, an official at a research institute said, ‘Since consumers in Japan or EU are strongly asking for the use of CR-free steel sheets, domesticCR makers have to get authentication from overseas consumers to export their products to them. Even domestic consumers are asking for such authentication by overseas consumers.‘ Although there is global requirement for the use of CR-free steel sheets, domestic consumers'recognition on those products still has some difference from that in the overseas market. sunhong@snmnews.com