Steel Products
Ford Pauses Work on $3.5B Battery Plant: Report
Written by Becca Moczygemba
September 26, 2023
Ford Motor Co. said on Monday that it has stopped work at its $3.5-billion project for an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in Michigan, according to media reports.
“We’re pausing work and limiting spending on construction on the (Marshall, Mich.,) project until we’re confident about our ability to competitively operate the plant,” an article from MarketWatch on Monday said, citing a Ford spokesperson.
The automaker announced the investment back in Feb. 2023. The plant would be the first automaker-backed lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery plant in the country, according to the original press release from Ford.
Named the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, the plant would employ approximately 2,500 people. Ford had planned for LFP battery production to begin in 2026.
The MarketWatch article said that a final decision about the planned investment in BlueOval has not been made yet.
After the announcement, United Auto Workers (UAW) union president Shawn Fain released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “This is a shameful, barely veiled threat by Ford to cut jobs.”
“Closing 65 plants over the last 20 years wasn’t enough for the Big Three, now they want to threaten us with closing plants that aren’t even open yet,” Fain said on X. “We are simply asking for a just transition to electric vehicles and Ford is instead doubling down on their race to the bottom.”
Recall that the UAW has been on strike against all three Detroit-area automakers since Sept. 15 at targeted plants. An expansion of the strike was announced last Friday against General Motors and Stellantis, but Ford had been spared. Fain said at the time that at Ford “they are serious about reaching a deal.”
Becca Moczygemba
Read more from Becca MoczygembaLatest in Steel Products
Domestic mill shipments rise in June: AISI
US steel shipments increased month over month and year over year in June, according to the latest figures from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
Active rig counts slipped in US, Canada
Drilling activity slowed in the US and Canada last week, according to the latest oil and gas rig count data released by Baker Hughes.
OCTG producers in Canada take aim at Mexico, US, others
Evraz NA and Welded Tube of Canada have lodged an unfair trade complaint against imports of OCTG, including those from USMCA trading partners Mexico and the US.
Final Thoughts
The difference: The spat with Turkey was a big deal for steel. This time, the 50% reciprocal tariff for Brazil – if it goes into effect as threatened on Aug.1 – hits everything from coffee and to pig iron. It seems almost custom-built to inflict as much pain as possible on Brazil.
CRU: US rebar and wire rod prices rise alongside S232 increase
CRU Senior Steel Analyst Alexandra Anderson discusses current market and pricing dynamics for long steel products in the US.