Audi announced plans to invest $4 billion to build its first US production plant in Georgia, creating ~4,500 jobs. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027. The facility is designed to produce up to 200,000 vehicles annually, with production expected to start in the early 2030s.
Nucor has been awarded an entire General Motors platform for exposed automotive sheet, Chair and CEO Leon Topalian said on a call Tuesday discussing the company’s third-quarter earnings. Topalian described the award as a breakthrough for Nucor in a product area he said integrated steelmakers had long dominated. Nucor plans to shift related process engineering and quality control work to its new West Virginia sheet mill as the facility ramps up, Topalian said. He said the mill would be capable of producing high-end automotive steel. Noah Hanners, executive VP of sheet products, said West Virginia automotive tons would begin customer qualifications in 2028.
The Canadian federal government and the Ontario provincial government have announced five-year commitments totaling CA$5.22 billion (US$3.72 billion) for a Joint Steel Action Fund. That funding comes alongside up to an additional CA$2.5 billion over two years for large-scale automotive capital projects. The federal and provincial governments said the package is intended to support domestic steel production, automotive manufacturing, and the transition to connected and electric vehicles.
A steel supply constraint is affecting some production schedules at Nissan North America, the automaker confirmed to SMU. The confirmation followed a Friday report by WLBT3 News that the constraint was affecting production at Nissan’s Canton, Miss., plant. SMU asked whether the issue was affecting other facilities. “Nissan continues to manage a steel supply constraint affecting some of our production schedules,” a company spokesperson said in an email to SMU on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Nissan is working with its supplier and taking steps to limit disruption to employees, dealers, and customers, the spokesperson added. The company provided no further details.
North American auto assemblies fell 2.2% from August to 1.314 million units in September, as lower commercial vehicle production outweighed nearly unchanged personal vehicle output, according to GlobalData. After steady gains through Q2, automotive production has been inconsistent, continuing a seesaw pattern. Still, assemblies remain muted and well below pre-pandemic levels. Total production was 4% below September 2025. Still, last month’s production total was 2.7% above 2026’s monthly average of 1.28 million units.
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. expects to earn more from the repricing of contract tonnage than it previously projected. The Cleveland-based steelmaker raised its estimate for the earnings benefit of the repricing to about $850 million from about $500 million. The company also said negotiations for 2027 contracts are progressing better than expected. More than half of the 2027 renewal process was complete as of Cliffs' third-quarter earnings call on Monday morning.
Manufacturing activity improved in several Federal Reserve districts, but conditions remained mixed nationwide, according to the Fed’s Oct. 14 Beige Book report. Demand was strongest in steel, machinery, defense-related products, and data center infrastructure. Steel producers in the Cleveland District reported firm spot market demand. Data center, power-generation, defense, and aerospace projects supported orders. Long mill lead times kept customer inventories lean and prices high. Producers also reported higher orders from truck-trailer and light-vehicle manufacturers. International demand for hydrogen vehicle parts increased.
U.S. Steel is investing $28.3 million in its Great Lakes Works in Michigan, with upgrades planned for its pickle line during a 30-day outage starting in October.
In 2015, finished steel imports were 29% of apparent domestic consumption of steel, as estimated by AISI. In 2025, the import share had fallen to 18%. Steel lobbyists think that is progress, but the reality is more complex.
The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) is pressing President Donald Trump to raise the issue of China’s steel exports and industry subsidies during his upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Kibar Americas said production has started at its aluminum plant in Fairmont, W.Va., where it will manufacture products for the HVAC, packaging, automotive and industrial sectors.
Vehicle affordability pressures are limiting growth in vehicle volumes, according to Mark Strand, deputy chief economist at Cox Automotive. SUVs, fleet activity, and aftermarket work could support steel demand, he told the audience last week at Steel Summit 2026 in Atlanta.
Automotive aluminum demand is rising as extrusions, sheet, and castings gain ground across vehicle applications and powertrains.
Trade talks between the US and Canada collapsed late on Friday, just hours after media reports that an accord was near.
Labor contract talks between the United Steelworkers (USW) union and U.S. Steel have made some headway. But the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker and the USW have somewhat different views about how much progress has been made to date.
Ford Motor Co. announced it will reshore production of Lincoln-brand vehicles as part of its commitment to American manufacturing. The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker said it will phase out the importation of vehicles from China for the US market and increase domestic Lincoln production starting in 2030.
Mid-earnings review finds rolled product outperforming extrusions, while trade shifts and billet supply cloud demand signals.
Cleveland-Cliffs’ top executive said any restart of the blast furnace at its Dearborn Works in Michigan hinges on automakers reshoring more production to the US.
Steel Dynamics Inc. posted sharply higher profits on record quarterly shipments and predicted the good times might continue to roll into 2027.
Toyota Motor North America plans to invest $3.6 billion to expand its San Antonio manufacturing campus.
Cleveland-Cliffs plans to upgrade its ironmaking process at Middletown Works, according to a permit filing with the Ohio EPA.
The provisional pact comes 10 days after UAW Local 2093 members went on strike on June 1.
Over the next three years, U.S. Steel’s investment to upgrade its hot strip mill at Mon Valley is projected to result in over 6,000 jobs and $58 million in tax revenue, according to an economic impact study conducted by the Parker Strategy Group.
Atlas Tube, a Zekelman company, said on Friday it has agreed to form a joint venture with Maruichi USA.
Global output will remain broadly flat this year, with further downgrades in Europe due to ongoing costs, regulatory, and competitive pressures, as well as a weaker economic outlook and rising inflationary pressures.
Manufacturing picked up in nine of the twelve Federal Reserve districts in May. It was one of the strongest sectors in the Fed’s June 3 Beige Book report.
Before the second Trump administration, many automakers were banking on an electrified future, supported by federal and state tax incentives for consumers. But many of those tax breaks are gone.
General Motors will launch a new vehicle-assembly project at its Ramos Arizpe Complex as part of the automaker’s previously announced $1 billion investment to strengthen its operations in Mexico.
American Axle (Dauch Corp.) workers in Three Rivers, Mich., have voted to authorize a strike.
The process to reduce Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs for producers in Mexico and Canada garnered mixed reactions from steel and metals’ supply chain advocacy groups.