After an accelerated decline in carbon and steel prices in the fourth quarter, spot prices bottomed in January and are now moving higher in the first quarter, said Ryerson President and CEO Eddie Lehner. Demand conditions appear favorable in the first part of 2019 despite weather interruptions in the early part of the year. Ryerson […]
The federal government of Canada announced it will give EVRAZ North America C$40 million ($29.78 million U.S.) from its Strategic Innovation Fund to help with C$112.6 million of upgrades planned at facilities in Regina and Red Deer, Alberta. “This will enable the company to produce valued-added OCTG products that match Canadian market demand and make […]
Altos Hornos de Mexico, S.A. (AHMSA), the largest steel producer in Mexico, reported that sales for fourth-quarter 2018 rose 6.5 percent year-over-year to $733.2 million. The improvement was due to stronger product mix and higher steel prices. The average steel sales price was $803 per metric ton. Adjusted EBITDA was $7.0 million, an 85.2 percent […]
U.S. Steel has been issued an enforcement warning by the Allegheny County Health Department for continued violation of air quality standards at the Mon Valley Works facility in Pennsylvania. A fire at the Clairton coke plant on Dec. 24, 2018, caused significant structural damage and damage to the equipment that cleans gases from the coke […]
Australian steel producer BlueScope has upgraded the expansion plans for its U.S. segment, now planning to add 900,000 to 1.0 million tons of capacity at North Star BlueScope at an investment cost of $600-$700 million. The Ohio steel facility will receive a third electric arc furnace with a melt capacity of about 1.5 million tons […]
A fire at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor last night brought firefighters to the mill for the second time this month. No injuries were reported and the fire was contained by the Burns Harbor Fire Department. ArcelorMittal USA spokeswoman Mary Beth Holford stated in an email: “Around 9 p.m. last evening at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor, casting conditions allowed […]
Reliance Steel & Aluminum reported record results in 2018, delivering the highest net sales in the company’s history at $11.53 billion. “2018 was an incredible year for Reliance, full of significant financial and operational milestones,” said Jim Hoffman, President and CEO of Reliance. “We experienced improved pricing conditions, healthy demand and excellent execution by our […]
Canadian steel company Stelco announced a new CEO and defied U.S. tariffs with a strong earnings report for the fourth quarter. David Cheney, formerly chief business development officer, will assume the mantle of CEO from Alan Kestenbaum who will continue to serve as Executive Chairman. Cheney will have executive responsibility for the company’s day-to-day business, […]
Development officials in Texas report that the Corpus Christi region is on the shortlist of preferred locations for Steel Dynamics’ new $1.8 billion steel mill. SDI announced last November that it planned to construct a new EAF flat rolled steel mill in the southwestern U.S. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 3.0 […]
The United Steelworkers and Bedrock Industries announced they will begin negotiations for a new collective agreement for workers at the Pointe-Noire iron pellet plant in Quebec. Bedrock Industries notified the USW of its intention to purchase and restart the facility. The pellet plant, formerly owned by Cliffs Natural Resources, closed in 2013 and is currently […]
Olympic Steel reported record sales for the fourth quarter and full-year 2018. The metals service center saw net sales jump 29 percent in 2018 to $1.7 billion on higher year-over-year volume and higher average prices in all three of its report segments. Operating income more than doubled in 2018 to $57.1 million, up from $24.0 […]
A strong economy and record profits are stimulating expansion in the U.S. steel industry. Often crediting President Trump for “leveling the playing field” with steel imports, companies like U.S. Steel and Nucor are taking the opportunity to reinvest their windfall in new and upgraded facilities. Adding capacity in a world that is struggling with steel […]
NLMK Pennsylvania says it is the “poster child for tariffs,” paying more than $160 million in duties for the steel slabs it utilizes at its operations. “I can’t imagine anybody paying more money in tariffs than we have,’’ said Bob Miller, NLMK Pennsylvania president in a recent comment to the Sharon Herald. NLMK Pennsylvania relies […]
“When, not if” has an official date from U.S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt. U.S. Steel has formally announced it will restart construction immediately on its Fairfield electric arc furnace facility. Construction on the EAF began at U.S. Steel’s Tubular operations in Fairfield, Ala., in March 2015 and was suspended in December 2015 due […]
Sales at NLMK USA fell 15 percent from third- to fourth-quarter 2018 on expectation of lower steel prices. Shipments dropped 500,000 metric tons from 590,000 tons, sequentially. The decrease in shipments, combined with a 3 percent decline in average price, led to sales falling 17 percent to $500 million. On a yearly basis, NLMK USA […]
Section 232 tariffs propelled ArcelorMittal to its best results in nearly 10 years, the company reported to analysts and investors today. The 25 percent tariffs on steel imports helped drive up steel prices, adding to company revenue from its U.S. assets. Average steel selling price in North America rose 15 percent year-over-year. Net income for […]
Union Partners has appointed former Big River Steel executive Mark Bula as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development. Bula served as Big River Steel’s chief commercial officer for six years helping to launch the company, developing their go-to-market strategy and directly managing all functional leaders. He exited the company in May 2018 and has received […]
ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor called firefighters to help control a towering blaze from a coke oven battery late Tuesday night. ArcelorMittal spokeswoman Mary Beth Holford said the plant “experienced a high voltage power interruption for a short duration” about 10:05 p.m. Tuesday. The outage triggered an emergency flare system that burned off excess coke oven gas, […]
Steel Dynamics Inc. announced it will acquire a 75 percent equity interest in Galvalume supplier United Steel Supply (USS), with an option to gain the other 25 percent in the future. United Steel Supply, Austin, Texas, is a leading distributor of painted Galvalume flat rolled steel used for roofing and siding applications. The company operates […]
U.S. Steel’s full-year net earnings nearly tripled from 2017 to 2018, but company executives were disappointed in fourth-quarter results for the Europe and tubular segments. Net earnings for the year totaled $1.1 billion compared to $387 million for 2017. Adjusted EBITDA was $1.76 billion compared to $1.15 billion a year ago, including $1.25 billion generated […]
AK Steel announced that it will permanently close its Ashland Works facility in Kentucky by the end of 2019. The blast furnace and hot end operations were idled in 2015, but AK Steel continued to operate a single hot-dip galvanizing coating line. Ashland’s 330,000 tons of loaded production will be transferred to other units in […]
Nucor Corp. surpassed expectations for 2018, reporting net earnings of $2.36 billion for the full year compared to $1.32 billion in 2017. Net sales jumped 24 percent to $25.07 billion due to a 5 percent increase in tons shipped and an 18 percent jump in the average sales price per ton. Nucor shipped 27.9 million […]
The big news for AK Steel this week was the closing of Ashland Works, but the company also posted remarkable financial results for full-year 2018. Sales in 2018 increased 12 percent to $6,818.2 million, generating net income of $186.0 million, a 25 percent increase from 2017. Increased sales were driven by higher carbon steel pricing […]
U.S. Steel has launched a dedicated website to keep residents near its Clairton Coke Plant advised of repair updates following a fire at the plant Dec. 24 that released harmful air emissions, but residents and environmentalists are calling for the idling of the plant until repairs are completed. A fire caused significant damage to the […]
Steel Dynamics is excited about its recently announced plans for a new steel mill in the Southwest. After an outstanding year, breaking records for shipments, sales, net income and cash flow, CEO Mark Millett is looking forward to filling a steel void in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Steel Dynamics hopes to announce a site […]
The electric arc furnace and caster at JSW Ohio are slowly producing more slabs after the re-start of the furnace back on Dec. 14, 2018. The furnace is running just about every day at this point, according to SMU sources. However, it is being limited to just a few heats. The mill’s goal is to […]
NLMK USA sales improved 2.0 percent year-over-year in 2018 to 2.28 million metric tons. Results were driven by increased sales of hot-rolled steel and galvanized flats in the U.S. Sales slumped during the fourth quarter as customers put purchases on hold in expectation of lower steel prices. Sales slid 15 percent from the third quarter […]
Steel Dynamics has announced additions and changes to its senior leadership team. Two new positions have been created to support SDI’s presence in the Southwest and Mexico. Miquel Alvarez will join Steel Dynamics in the new position of Senior Vice President, Southwest and Mexico. He will be responsible for the comprehensive business development and partnerships […]
U.S. tariffs on steel imports from Canada continue to put pressure on Canadian producers while goverment officials seek an ending to the trade measures. Algoma Steel, which recently emerged from bankruptcy protection, is one of the vulnerable steel producers affected by Section 232. The second largest mill in Canada is expected to receive up to […]
Residents near U.S. Steel’s Clairton plant were told to limit outdoor activities on Wednesday due to sulfur dioxide emissions following a December fire at the Pennsylvania coke works. “We have been closely monitoring this issue since we were first notified of the fire on December 24th. While the plant has substituted natural gas for coke […]