Company Announcements
November 21, 2025
ArcelorMittal Mexico takes another hit as port workers go on strike
Written by Laura Miller
ArcelorMittal Mexico is facing another blow to its operational stability as dockworkers at the mill’s port in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacan, went on strike on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
The local Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers (CROM) union took to the picket lines after failing to reach a new two-year labor contract with the steelmaker. Negotiations had been ongoing since last month, according to a Noventa Grados report.
ArcelorMittal expressed regret that they were unable to reach an agreement.
“This action comes amid one of the most severe crises the company has faced, and unfortunately further aggravates the situation, jeopardizing operational stability and the jobs of thousands of families,” the company said in a statement.
The strike at the Lázaro Cárdenas port could further impact imports and exports of slabs, scrap, sheet steel, and other raw materials.
Troubled background
The Mexican operations of Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal have faced a turbulent stretch over the past two years. The period has been marked by labor unrest and operational setbacks at the Lázaro Cárdenas steelworks on Mexico’s southwest Pacific coast.
A 55-day strike in mid-2024 shuttered production and cost the company an estimated 1 million metric tons of steel output. The stoppage hurt customer trust, resulted in canceled orders, and disrupted supply chains in construction, automotive, and manufacturing.
The problems continued into 2025, when a series of outages and accidents further destabilized operations.
A blast furnace shutdown in July was followed by an August explosion at a direct-reduction plant. Long product output stopped, and the company turned to imports from sister mills in Texas and Brazil to keep hot-rolled coil flowing.
Partial restarts eased pressure by September, but shipments fell by 250,000 mt, and regional operating income dropped sharply.
