Category: Market Segment

Facing weak demand and an “unsustainably low” pricing environment, GrafTech International posted another quarterly loss to close out 2024.

AM/NS Calvert has begun commissioning its new electric-arc furnace, with plans to reach its full annual run rate of 1.65 million short tons a year from now.

There's a lot of production waiting to come online

U.S. Steel has idled its "B" Battery at its Clairton Coke Works near Pittsburgh following a “release of excess pressure” inside a section of the battery on Feb. 5.

ArcelorMittal announced on Thursday that it will begin the construction of its new $1.2-billion electrical steel mill in Alabama later this year. The steelmaker said it is proceeding with plans to build the new greenfield mill near its existing AM/NS joint venture in Calvert, Ala. The ArcelorMittal Calvert plant will have an annealing pickling line, […]

Domestic steel shipments increased month over month and year on year in December, according to the latest data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). US steel mills shipped 7,145,016 short tons (st) in December, up 0.9% from 7,082,921 st in December 2023 and 6.6% higher than 6,702,557 st in November 2024. For the full-year […]

The union says the suit is "a frivolous and unsubstantiated attack on our union simply for exercising our First Amendment rights."

The Commerce Department on Tuesday issued preliminary subsidy rates in the corrosion-resistant steel (CORE) trade case. The agency set minimal countervailing duty (CVD) rates for Brazil and Mexico, mostly high rates for Vietnam, and low rates for Canada, except for one privately held distributor. Commerce assigned that company, Nova Steel, and a handful of Vietnamese […]

The Vienna-based global refractory product provider said this is its most significant investment since RHI and Magnesita merged in 2017

Steel and aluminum have been identified as high priorities for trade

The volume of raw steel produced by US mills slightly increased last week, according to American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data. Last week’s production rate represents the second-highest level recorded this year.

Together, Nippon Steel, Nippon Steel North America, and U.S. Steel announced the filing of their opening brief in their litigation to invalidate the government’s decision to block their announced merger. The brief lays out “how President Biden made a predetermined decision for political reasons, not national security, causing CFIUS to engage in a sham review […]

Canada fights back, a little As this article was about to be posted, Canada had not backed down to US President Trump’s 25% tariffs coming for Canadian goods at the stroke of midnight. In fact, the Government of Canada had pushed back, saying it would implement 25% tariffs on $155 billion worth of US products […]

“It is not by imposing tariffs that problems are resolved, but by talking and dialoguing,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said.

Muted demand from the auto industry took a particular toll later in the year.

The benefits from higher tariffs are speculative and unproven. The disruptions caused by tariffs and other trade restrictions are better documented and cannot be rationally denied. For the tariffs to be good policy, the Trump argument must therefore be sure that the benefits to the US exceed the cost of these disruptions. Otherwise, we have madness masquerading as policy.

The Trump administration will implement 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and 10% tariffs on China, according to a White House fact sheet and executive orders circulated on Saturday. The administration said that it would tariff “energy resources” from Canada at a lower rate – 10%. The tariffs will go into effect at 12:01 ET on Tuesday, according to an executive order. The White House documents made no mention of exemptions.

North American auto assemblies dropped in December, a sharp 22.6% fall below November, reaching the lowest mark in over three years. Assemblies were also down 5.7% year on year (y/y), according to LMC Automotive data. December’s assemblies reached the lowest total since July 2021. Sentiment remains tempered as carmakers continue to downgrade and adjust vehicle […]

AZZ Inc. recently announced it is shaking up the duties and roles of two executives involved in its Precoat Metals segment. Kurt Russell, Precoat’s current chief operating officer and former president, is moving into a senior vice president position within AZZ Inc. into the newly created role of chief strategic officer. “We are excited to […]

US light-vehicle (LV) sales jumped to an unadjusted 1.49 million units in December, a rise of 9.6% from November and 2% from a year ago, according to data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. On an annualized basis, LV sales were 16.8 million units in December, up from 15.6 million units the month prior […]

U.S. Steel’s losses widened in the fourth quarter on lower steel prices, weaker demand, and startup costs relating to the expansion of its Big River Steel EAF sheet mill in Arkansas. But the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker said it expected results to improve in 2025 as Big River 2 – the project to double capacity at the Osceola, Ark., mill - gains steam.

The projects collectively represent ~65% of Nucor’s capital expenditures budget for this year.

JSW Steel USA’s operations took earnings hits in the quarter ended Dec. 31. And Indian parent company JSW Steel believes potential tariff hikes by the Trump administration could hamper declining inflation in the US. JSW Steel USA operates the Mingo Junction slab and hot-rolled sheet mill in Ohio and the Baytown plate and pipe and […]

USMCA is option 1 but will cost more or not be big enough

With construction seasonally soft, the flatbed market remains softer than the other main trailer types.

Mexican steel trade association Canacero said US steel exports represent “a threat to the Mexican steel industry.” Canacero also backed retaliatory measures if President Trump enacts 25% tariffs on Mexico by Feb. 1.

But the Swedish steelmaker is optimistic about a rebound

Nucor Corp.’s chief executive didn’t shy away from discussing the company’s interest in potentially acquiring the electric-arc furnace assets of U.S. Steel on Tuesday. An analyst on an earnings conference call asked about Nucor’s appetite for M&A given its strong cash position – $4.1 billion at the end of 2024. Chair, President, and CEO Leon […]

“More needs to be done to ensure that these illegally dumped and subsidized imports do not continue to distort the American market in a road profitability," Nucor's CEO said.

Nucor’s raw material segment generated an annual profit of $57 million in 2024. This marked a swing to profit over 2023 when Nucor reported a $14-million loss for the segment. The Charlotte, N.C.-based company did not say in their earnings call on Tuesday what caused this increase besides a 20% increase in the production and […]