Sandvik manufactures tools and tooling systems, equipment for the mining and construction industries and products in advanced stainless materials. The group’s customers are thus within mining, engineering, construction, automotive and energy industries. The mining and construction industry is the largest business area and the US together with Australia, Germany and China. Demand for Sandvik's products are highly cyclical due to their customer’s cyclical business exposure (industrial production). Raw materials are an important factor for Sandvik as the development in raw material prices has a direct impact (input costs such as nickel, molybdenum and other metals) and an indirect impact (orders received, as the price affects investment incentives in the mining/drilling industry) on Sandvik’s profitability.