It’s a real possibility the United States may withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement. Despite pleas from Republican and Democratic senators, agriculture industry leaders, automotive executives, the United Steelworkers, trucking associations and many others, President Trump, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appear undeterred in their march to tear up […]
ArcelorMittal’s new headquarters in Luxembourg will be a testament to the strength and beauty of steel. The primarily steel and glass structure designed by Wilmotte & Associés will “showcase the diverse benefits of steel over other building materials,” said ArcelorMittal in a press release. Approximately 5,000 to 7,000 metric tons of steel produced in Luxembourg […]
Nucor offered fourth-quarter guidance on Wednesday, forecasting a decrease in earnings compared to the third quarter. Fourth-quarter results are expected to be in the range of $0.50 to $0.55 per diluted share compared to third-quarter consolidated net earnings of $0.79 per diluted share and comparable to year-ago earnings. Imports continue to negatively impact the U.S. […]
The Italian-Argentine industrial consortium Techint Group and its Ternium subsidiary are planning to construct a $1 billion hot rolled steel mill in Monterrey, Mexico. The mill will be part of an expansion of Techint’s industrial center in Nuevo León, where the consortium first started operations in 2013. The rolling mill will have an annual capacity […]
On the heels of its $50 per ton increase on carbon plate prices on Wednesday, Nucor announced an additional $30 per ton increase on hot rolled, cold rolled and galvanized steel products on Friday, effective immediately. U.S. Steel, NLMK USA and California Steel matched the Nucor sheet price increase of $30 per ton. ArcelorMittal USA, […]
Steel Dynamics said it is pleased with Commerce Department’s affirmative determination in the circumvention investigation against flat roll steel from China processed into cold roll and corrosion-resistant steel in Vietnam. In a preliminary ruling, Commerce determined that the processing done by Vietnamese companies to Chinese substrate was not sufficient to change the steel’s country of […]
Economic indicators of manufacturing activity are still healthy overall and suggest conditions should remain positive for the balance of this year and into the first quarter of 2018. This report summarizes seven data sources that describe the state of manufacturing in the U.S. We have reported on most of these separately in our Steel Market […]
Detroit automakers met with Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Monday to express concerns about the U.S. proposal on NAFTA automotive rules of origin. General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne and Ford Motor Co. Executive Vice President and President of Global Operations Joe Hinrichs […]
The office of the U.S. Trade Representative has finally updated its summary of NAFTA objectives in response to pressure from the Senate Finance Committee to provide transparency regarding the negotiations. Ron Wyden (D-OR) put the confirmation of two deputy USTR nominees on hold until the updated objectives were made public. Wyden said the summaries are […]
Mexico continues to take a larger share of light vehicle assemblies from the U.S. and Canada, according to Steel Market Update’s analysis of October industry data. U.S. Vehicle Sales In September, sales of autos and light trucks surged to an annual rate of 18.6 million units. October fell back to 18.1 million units. Economy.com had […]
Members of the United Steel Workers Local 1915 have ratified a three-year labor agreement with AK Tube LLC, a subsidiary of AK Steel, covering about 100 hourly production employees at the company’s Walbridge, Ohio, facility. The new agreement is effective from Jan. 22, 2018, to Jan. 22, 2021. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement […]
ArcelorMittal reported its best third-quarter shipment performance since 2008. Shipments of 21.7 million tons were 1.0 percent higher than second-quarter due to a 1.2 percent increase in Brazil shipments, a 4.3 percent increase in NAFTA shipments, and a 3.2 percent increase from the ACIS segment. Shipments from the three segments offset a decline of 3.3 […]
Stelco Holdings, Inc., closed its initial public offering today, successfully raising $230 million to be used for select capital investments, new product development and early payments to pension trusts. The 13.5 million shares were offered at a price of $17 per share. As of midday Friday, the stock was trading around $19.50 per share. Bedrock […]
Chemcoaters and its Eco-Green Coatings subsidiary say they are winning over skeptics who doubt the company’s claims it can dramatically lower the cost of galvanized steel with its InterCoat ChemGuard coating. Mike Tieri, vice president of sales and marketing for the Gary, Ind., toll coater, says the product continues to gain converts. “There’s a Who’s […]
U.S. Steel is undertaking a massive asset revitalization program to reduce unplanned outages and improve profitability and competitiveness. The company plans to invest approximately $1.2 billion from 2017 through 2020 on repairs and upgrades. By 2020, slab production capability at Gary Works, Great Lakes Works and Mon Valley works will be increased by 1 million […]
Allegheny Technologies, Inc., has agreed to form a 50-50 joint venture with an affiliate of China’s Tsingshan Group to manufacture and sell 60-inch-wide stainless sheet in North America. Tsingshan is the world’s largest stainless steel producer. The joint venture, which still needs regulatory approval, expects to begin shipping products in early 2018. Tsingshan’s operation in […]
AK Steel reported a net loss of $5.8 million in the third quarter compared to net income of $50.9 million in Q3 2016. Results were impacted by $13.1 million in acquisition and debt refinancing costs and a LIFO charge of $49.0 million, compared to a LIFO credit of $24.2 million in the prior-year third quarter. […]
NLMK USA posted revenue of $424 million in the third quarter, a 3.0 percent decrease from the second quarter due to a 5.0 percent slide in the average sales price. Shipments increased 2 percent to 558,000 metric tons. EBITDA for the segment was $38 million, down 9.0 percent from the second quarter due to higher […]
Economic indicators of manufacturing activity are still healthy overall and portend well for the balance of this year. This report summarizes seven data sources that describe the state of manufacturing in the U.S. We have reported on most of these separately in our Steel Market Update publications, and therefore will be brief in this summary. […]
Steel Market Update (SMU) found steel buyers receptive to speaking their minds on how various steel mills are responding to the price increase announcements made last week. It appears mills with shorter lead times are perhaps a little more receptive to waiving part or all of the increases. Other mills have better order books and […]
The volume of light vehicle assemblies in the U.S. and Canada is declining at more than 15 percent per year as Mexico’s volume is increasing by 7.7 percent, according to the latest Steel Market Update analysis of auto production in the NAFTA region. U.S. Vehicle Sales: U.S. new-vehicle sales surged in September to 18.6 million […]
ArcelorMittal is showing interest in buying the bankrupt India mill Bhushan Steel. Bhushan has a strong presence in the automotive steel market and has a production capacity of 5.6 million metric tons annually. Its debt is estimated at about $6.9 billion. Acquisition of Bhushan would give ArcelorMittal a foothold in India’s auto-grade steel market, which […]
Steel Dynamics and CEO Mark Millett are expecting a tighter steel market in the fourth quarter. After surging ahead of possible Section 232 trade action, import levels have declined and, coupled with strengthening order rates and longer lead times, steel prices are expected to appreciate significantly, said Millet in remarks during the company’s quarterly conference […]
The delay by the Trump administration in making a decision on Section 232 is allowing further damage to the steel industry, said Nucor CEO, Chairman and President John Ferriola during the company’s third-quarter conference call. Ferriola said he is not surprised by the surge of imports that have come into the U.S. since spring. Countries […]
The American Automotive Policy Council is challenging data that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross cited in his bid to raise the NAFTA auto rules of origin. In a September report, Ross used data from 1995 to 2011 in an effort to “debunk the claim that U.S. content in the form of parts is so high that […]
Labor rights need to be at the forefront of NAFTA talks, assert leaders of the United Steelworkers and the United Autoworkers. In a joint statement on Oct. 12, United Steelworkers International President Leo W. Gerard and USW Canadian National Director Ken Neumann challenged negotiators to craft a NAFTA agreement that “will raise standards, ensure they […]
It’s on the table: the U.S. proposal for rules of origin for NAFTA automobiles. On Friday, the Trump administration made its demand for 50 percent U.S. content in NAFTA-produced cars and trucks and an increase of North American content from 65.2 percent to 85 percent. The increase for U.S. content would be made within the […]
What goes around comes around, as they say. In the case of the ferrous scrap market, what goes around and comes around again and again are residuals such as copper that complicate the steelmaking process and threaten to erode some of the competitive cost advantage now held by minimills. Minimill steelmaking has transformed the steel […]
The fourth round of NAFTA talks is under way in Washington with some negotiators fearing the demise of the 20-year-old agreement. “There are several poison pill proposals still on the table that could doom the entire deal,” said Tom Donohue, CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a speech in Mexico City on Tuesday. […]
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. and wholly-owned subsidiary Diamond Manufacturing Co. announced the acquisition of Ferguson Perforating Co., effective Oct. 2. Los Angeles-based Reliance is the largest service center company in North America. Ferguson specializes in producing highly engineered and complex perforated metal for diverse end markets ranging from aerospace and automotive to industrial machinery, […]