At least two North American plate producers have announced price increases of $120-160 per ton ($6-8/cwt). Nucor – the largest steelmaker in the U.S. – in a leading move announced the increase along with the opening of its September order book for plate. The increase – announced on Tuesday, July 20 – marks at least the third […]
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) doesn’t see a big steel price correction in the cards because of broader – and largely unrecognized – structural shifts underway in the U.S. steel market, company executives said. Industry experts have been focused on potential negatives such as new capacity, increased imports and the removal of trade barriers. They are missing […]
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) kicked off steel earnings season by posting record second-quarter sales and record profits on ballooning metal spreads. And the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaker anticipates another record performance in the third quarter as well as strong demand into 2022. “We remain confident that macroeconomic and market conditions are […]
Lobbying groups for steel consumers blasted a federal appeals court’s decision to uphold former President Donald Trump’s abrupt doubling of Section 232 tariffs on Turkey to 50%. The tariffs have already led to high prices, long lead times and shortages that have hurt downstream manufacturers, and the decision regarding Turkey could set a dangerous precedent by […]
General Motors and Stellantis have extended downtime at some of their North American plants into August because of the ongoing chip shortage. The latest development means all Detroit-area “Big Three” automakers will be grappling with shortages of semiconductors and other parts into next month. Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford – the crosstown rival of GM and Stellantis […]
General Motors and Stellantis have extended downtime at some of their North American plants into August because of the ongoing chip shortage. The latest development means all Detroit-area “Big Three” automakers will be grappling with shortages of semiconductors and other parts into next month. Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford – the crosstown rival of GM and Stellantis […]
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. has joined the ranks of North American steel mills planning steep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions over the next 10 years. The iron ore miner, pellet producer and flat-rolled steelmaker aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 versus 2017 levels. The company said it would do so by using less […]
Evraz North America has broken ground on a new $500 million rail mill at its steelmaking complex in Pueblo, Colo. The expansion – expected to result in the most modern rail mill in North America – is slated to be completed in 2023, the company said. It will allow Evraz to make 300-foot rail segments that […]
Peruvian steelmaker Corporación Aceros Arequipa S.A. (CAASA) has purchased two scrap yards in Florida to ensure it has enough raw materials for a new steel mill. The assets purchased include a shredder as well as a magnetic metal separation system, according to a notice filed with Peruvian securities regulators. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. […]
Nucor plans to slash Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions at its steel mills by 35% by 2030. North America’s largest steelmaker also aims in the following years to be “net zero” when it comes to carbon emissions. “Our GHG intensity is less than one-third the world average, but we are committed to […]
Former President Donald Trump acted within the law when he doubled Section 232 tariffs on Turkey from 25% to 50% in August 2018, a federal appeals court said. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upends a prior decision by a lower court – namely, by the U.S. Court of […]
United Steelworkers (USW) union members have ratified a new four-year labor agreement with Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI). The vote in favor of the new pact officially ends a strike that began on March 30, more than three months ago. “As we return to work, we need to maintain our solidarity and enforce our contract,” the […]
So much for the summer doldrums. After a brief pause following Independence Day (and Canada Day), sheet prices have resumed their sharp upward trajectory. Hot-rolled coil prices are now over $1,800 per ton ($90 per cwt) while cold-rolled and galvanized base prices are above $2,000 per ton ($100 per cwt). If this pace of gains […]
ArcelorMittal Dofasco will be the next Canadian steelmaker to receive government funding to reduce carbon emissions, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. “Very soon we will have good news about another major investment, this time with Arcelor(Mittal) Dofasco,” Trudeau said of the Hamilton, Ontario-based flat-rolled steelmaker, which is part of multination steelmaker ArcelorMittal SA. Trudeau […]
NLMK USA sales surged in the second quarter on strong demand and increased slab supplies from its parent company in Russia. The U.S. subsidiary of Lipetsk, Russia-based NLMK Group recorded flat-rolled steel sales volumes of 502,000 metric tonnes in the first quarter. That’s up 17% from 431,000 tonnes in the first quarter and up 52% […]
I’ve heard more than a few times now that we should keep a close eye out for falling steel prices because, “Look what happened in lumber.” In case you’ve been under a rock (or tree), lumber prices fell more than 40% in June, their biggest monthly drop on record, according to CNBC and others. What […]
One of two United Steelworkers (USW) locals at Algoma Steel is opposed to the Ontario mill’s proposed switch from integrated steelmaking to electric arc furnace (EAF) production. USW Local 2251 President Mike DaPrat went so far as to boycott an event at the mill – attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – to announce government-funding […]
The Dodge Momentum Index has fallen for the first time this year – and after six consecutive months of gains – on uneven demand and higher costs. The index now stands at 165.8, down 5% from a revised May number of 175.1, according to Hamilton, N.J.-based Dodge Data & Analytics. “Uncertain demand for some building […]
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) has delayed the start-up of the hot end of its new steel mill in Sinton, Texas, to the fourth quarter, the company’s top executive said. The move was necessary because of severe rain over the last 4-6 weeks, something that was amplified by recent flooding in the region, SDI Chairman, President […]
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) has delayed the start-up of the hot end of its new steel mill in Sinton, Texas, to the fourth quarter, the company’s top executive said. The move was necessary because of severe rain over the last 4-6 weeks, something that was amplified by recent flooding in the region, SDI Chairman, President […]
Canada has launched an antidumping trade case against oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from Austria. The investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) – initiated on Wednesday, July 7 – stems from a complaint filed by Tenaris SA’s Canadian subsidiaries. “The CBSA will investigate whether the imports are being dumped and will make a preliminary decision […]
Steel Dynamics Inc.’s flat-rolled steel mill in Columbus, Miss., is operating as usual after an unplanned outage in June on one of its electric arc furnaces (EAFs). The Columbus facility is “back up and running,” an SDI spokeswoman confirmed to Steel Market Update. The plant went down for a 10-day outage on June 20 after […]
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) aims to be carbon neutral at its electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mills by 2050. The steelmaker has also set interim emissions reductions goals for 2025 and 2030. Namely, it plans to reduce combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions at its EAF mills by 20% by 2025 and […]
Cleveland-Cliffs has launched a cash-incentive program across all its facilities to encourage employees to get their COVID-19 vaccines. “The program works per site. The company will pay all vaccinated employees a cash bonus based upon the level of vaccination achieved by that site,” a Cliffs spokeswoman said. If 85% of workers at a given mine, mill or […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to announce that Dan Sullivan, founder of Chicago-based Montrose Advisors, will be the featured speaker for our next Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, July 14 at 11 a.m. ET. Montrose Advisors specializes in M&A among small- to mid-size privately held service centers, fabricators and manufacturers. Think Berlin Metals’ sale to […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to announce that Dan Sullivan, founder of Chicago-based Montrose Advisors, will be the featured speaker for our next Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, July 14 at 11 a.m. ET. Montrose Advisors specializes in M&A among small- to mid-size privately held service centers, fabricators and manufacturers. Think Berlin Metals’ sale to […]
Algoma Steel is slated to receive as much as C$420 million ($340 million U.S.) from the Canadian government to help pay for its switch from integrated steelmaking to electric-arc furnace (EAF) production. The amount will be distributed over four years and is aimed at making the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario-based flat-rolled steelmaker one of the […]
Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) and United Steelworkers (USW) union negotiators have reached a tentative four-year labor agreement, according to both the union and the company. The deal, if ratified by rank-and-file union members, would end a strike that began on March 30 – more than three months ago. The new contract – backdated to March […]
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) is in the process of starting up the coating lines at its new steel mill in Sinton, Texas, a company spokesman confirmed. The paint line at Sinton has been threaded, and painting is expected to begin in approximately two weeks, he said. The mill’s galvanizing line, meanwhile, is slated to start […]
Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc., posted its best results in more than a decade in its fiscal third quarter thanks to high prices and strong demand for both ferrous and nonferrous scrap. The Portland, Ore.-based scrap recycler and long steel producer recorded net income of $63.6 million in the third quarter after losing approximately $5 million […]