Steel Summit to Host U.S. Steel's Burritt

“[With blast furnaces], we are winning in the strategic markets where we have the capability for differentiation especially in advanced high-strength steel,” said Burritt. “At the low end of the markets, in the trough of the business, if the minimills make it, they’re going to take it. Which tells us we can’t get to the future fast enough.”

Burritt recently penned an op-ed for Fortune magazine outlining the need for an infrastructure bill that will keep our economy and our industries viable for the future.

“Strong action to build the U.S. economy is the best long-term strategy to recover from the unprecedented effects of COVID-19, to prosper in the near term, and to prepare for unforeseen events of the future. The coronavirus has forced us to reassess our ability to handle unexpected events and take a hard look at the efficiency of societal functions and processes. Modernizing U.S. infrastructure ranks at or near the top of the list of actions needed to ensure our economy is resilient enough to adapt to future challenges.

“If we are going to help the American people, let’s do it in a way that provides crucial jobs and lasting benefits to our society and economy. Let’s do something that we all know is needed and not kick the can down the road for another 12 months or 12 years,” he wrote.

You can hear more of Burritt’s outlook on the steel industry at the SMU Virtual Steel Summit 2020, set for Aug. 24-26.  For more information and to register for the virtual conference, click here.