• Skip to main content

    Canada

    January 27, 2025

    Miller on Metallics: The future of US pig iron usage

    Written by Stephen Miller

    There is no doubt pig iron will be needed to fuel the expansion of flat-roll capacity in the US and Canada. Where will it come from? How much will it cost? What will be the quality? Is it a good business to produce merchant pig iron?

    The US imports between 4-6 million metric tons (mt) per year of pig iron depending on the economic climate for steel and iron products. The US has been importing at these levels since the mid-1990s after the construction of numerous compact strip production (CSP) facilities. This level of imports is not likely to decrease over the next five years with the expansion of electric-arc furnace (EAF) capacity underway.

    Stephen Miller

    Stephen Miller started his career in the scrap metal industry in 1978 at Luria Brothers in Cleveland. Over the last 40-plus years, he has worked in all capacities in the trading business. He has had positions in both domestic and international scrap trading. In addition to scrap, Miller was at the forefront of the pig iron trade and established a pig iron distribution company under the name of Ferrosource, Inc. Most recently, Miller has concentrated on the scrap export market and regularly does consulting for several companies in the industry.

    Read more from Stephen Miller

    Latest in Canada

    US steel imports reach 15-month high in August, rise further in September

    Steel imports into the US crept higher in August and continued climbing in September, according to the Department of Commerce's latest import license data. August imports rose 3.4% from July to a 15-month high. September license data collected through Oct. 5 shows another 6.2% month-on-month increase. Imports continue to recover from some of the lowest levels since 2020, seen late last year through February this year.