Green iron startup company Electra has raised $85 million to support its production of low-temperature iron (LTI). The process will utilize commercial and low-grade ores and zero-carbon electricity. The Boulder, Colo.- based company focuses on iron refining without a green premium and is backed by various organizations, including the Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Amazon, […]
Flash Steelworks, Inc. is breaking ground on a $12.1 million armor and military-grade plate manufacturing facility in Middlesboro, Ky., the company said in an Oct. 12 release. “Starting in Middlesboro, we will deploy leading-edge advanced steel technology and products in what is planned to be a regional industrial hub,” said Gary Cola Jr., founder, and […]
Editor’s note: SMU Contributor Michael D’Angelo is a researcher and trader at Marex who has been active in the metals markets for two years. In his role, Mike performs fundamental and quantitative analysis which directly leads to actionable trading/risk management strategies across the base, precious and ferrous metals derivative spaces. Prior to joining Marex, Mike received […]
Editor’s note: SMU Contributor Michael D’Angelo is a researcher and trader at Marex who has been active in the metals markets for two years. In his role, Mike performs fundamental and quantitative analysis which directly leads to actionable trading/risk management strategies across the base, precious and ferrous metals derivative spaces. Prior to joining Marex, Mike received […]
On Friday the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest report card on the US economy’s performance with its September jobs report. The results, though surprisingly upbeat, point to potentially more troublesome days ahead, both personally and collectively for the steel industry. So here are just a few thoughts to ponder as October nears […]
Los Angeles-based JFE Shoji America Holdings Inc. successfully completed the acquisition of California Expanded Metal Products Co. (CEMCO), the company said in an Oct. 10 news release. The acquisition of the California-based cold-formed steel framing company expands JFE’s steel products business in the US. CEMCO will continue manufacturing products under the leadership of Tom Porter, CEMCO’s […]
The US labor market added 263,000 jobs in September, down for the second consecutive month but still better than expected. The result signals that the Federal Reserve will likely have to do more to slow it down. September was the slowest monthly gain in nearly a year and a half, according to the Bureau of […]
The US economy added 263,000 new jobs in September, slowing for the second straight month and marking the lowest monthly total since April 2021, according to data from the US Department of Labor. Despite the repeated decline in hiring, last month’s total was still solid by pre-pandemic standards and slightly ahead of the expected payroll […]
I look for connections in current events, and often they are apparent for all the world to see. One recent example—in the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August, Congress reinstated and revised the tax credit for “clean vehicles,” including electric, hybrid plug-in, and alternative fuel vehicles (such as hydrogen fuel cells). These cars are in […]
Zekelman Industries is closing its Long Beach, Calif., steel conduit manufacturing facility, pointing its finger at imports from Mexico as a major reason for the closure. The Long Beach facility, which employed 145 workers represented by the United Autoworkers union, manufactured steel conduit under the Western Tube and Wheatland Tube brand names. The Chicago-based company […]
ArcelorMittal is investing in energy storage. The Luxembourg-based global steel manufacturer announced on Oct. 4 a $17.5 million dollar investment in Form Energy Inc. Founded in 2017, Form Energy is a Somerville, Mass.-based company with employees in the San Francisco Bay area and Pittsburgh. The manufacturer is developing an iron-air battery that will be able […]
US Steel’s Big River Steel Works in Osceola, Ark., will be able to further utilize solar energy as early as 2024, allowing the company to reduce its environmental footprint even more. The Entergy Arkansas Driver Solar Project has been approved by the Arkansas Public Service Commission. The project will be located on 2,100 acres adjacent […]
The ongoing trend for steel sheet prices has remained mostly flat over the past several weeks, and this week was really no exception. We’ve seen a tightening of spreads between hot-rolled coil prices and those for cold rolled, galvanized, Galvalume. And the trend of narrowing spreads is even more pronounced when it comes to plate. […]
The S&P Global US manufacturing PMI — another measure of manufacturing — edged up to 52 in September, up from 51.5 in August, recovering for the first time in three months after reaching its lowest level in two years. Last month’s recovery was driven by renewed expansions in output and new orders, though operating conditions across […]
US manufacturing activity grew at its slowest pace in nearly two-and-a-half years in September, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Though still expanding last month, manufacturing was slowed as new orders contracted amid aggressive interest rate increases from the Federal Reserve meant to cool demand and tame inflation. The ISM’s report also showed […]
Metals supplier Alro Steel has completed the acquisition of Access Metals, a service center and supplier located in Essex, Md. Effective Sept. 30, the purchase allows Alro to continue growing its customer base. Access Metals caters to small-purchase customers, both from the public and within the manufacturing, machining, and fabricating industries. “Alro shares my philosophy […]
With a total investment of $150 million Canadian (US$109.9 million), Tenaris recently consolidated its seamless and welded pipe manufacturing operations in Canada into one location in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to better serve the country’s energy sector. An inauguration ceremony with company executives, customers, employees, and government officials was held on Sept. 27 to mark […]
Our latest survey results are decidedly mixed. Lead times (like prices) continue to move modestly lower. You can find reasons to support your case in the latest data whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist. Let’s take the case for optimism first. Most survey respondents expect lead times to flatten out soon. Some even expect […]
The Hamilton, Ohio-based Matandy steel and metal companies are now 100% employee owned. The prior owners of 35 years, Frank and Joanne Pfirman, recently converted the company to an employee stock option plan, surprising its 110 employees on Sept. 28 with the announcement. “I knew if we were to sell to a competitor or venture […]
A new spiralweld pipe mill has officially opened its doors in Houston. The JDF/HDM mill, a partnership between Houston-based JD Fields and Turkish pipe piling manufacturer HDM Çelik Boru Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ, has been rolling pipe successfully for two months now. An official ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday, Sept. 28, to celebrate […]
Demand for galvanized sheet is strong or softening, depending on where you’re located, according to members of the Heating, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) Sheet Metal/Air Handling Council. And with pricing bouncing along somewhat steadily in recent weeks, most members are not expecting any big swings in galvanized pricing in the coming months. In […]
The US economy was balanced between “slight to modest” growth and softening in early July but is headed for “generally weak” in the next six to 12 months, the Federal Reserve said in its latest Beige Book report. The latest temperature check by the Fed on the state of the economy said the outlook for […]
Shipments of iron and steel, coke, and scrap metal on the St. Lawrence Seaway System were robust in the first eight months of this year, according to the latest figures released by the Great Lakes Seaway Partnership. Steel shipments on the Seaway were up 3.92% from the same period of 2021, reaching 1.282 million metric […]
GM is transforming its propulsion plant in Toledo, Ohio, in preparation for EV-related production. The Detroit-based auto manufacturer is investing $760 million to produce powertrains that will be used in future electric vehicles, with renovations starting this month. The news comes just one week after the company announced that it is investing in updating its […]
Ford Motor Co. has broken ground on a new, $5.6 billion auto production complex in Stanton, Tenn., where it plans to build all-new electric trucks and advanced batteries. The groundbreaking comes less than a year after the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker and SK On, a Seoul-based battery technology company, announced the investment. A mega campus of […]
By CRU Senior China Economist Henry Hao, from CRU’s Global Economic Outlook and China Macro Monthly China’s economy showed resilience in August, with growth in industrial production, investment, and retail sales shoring up the recovery from the effects of Covid lockdowns and heatwaves. The worsening property slump, however, continues to drag on the economy and threaten the […]
SSAB is expanding its decarbonization efforts. The Swedish steel company recently announced its partnership with equipment manufacturer Oshkosh Corp. Oshkosh will receive fossil-free steel from SSAB to manufacture environmentally-friendly vehicles. “We are very happy to welcome Oshkosh Corp. into our partner group to be the first in the US to prototype fossil-free steel in commercial and […]
GrafTech Mexico SA de CV has temporarily suspended manufacturing of graphite electrodes at its facility in Monterrey, Nuevo León, after an inspection revealed its operating license is no longer in effect. Discovery of the invalid operating license was made during an inspection by the State Attorney’s Office for the Secretary of Environment of the State […]
Antidumping and countervailing duty actions (also known as trade cases) have been a mainstay for protecting American industries from foreign competition. Many lawyers and economic consultants (I am among them) have made their living litigating these cases at Commerce Department, the US International Trade Commission, and the courts. More than 660 products are currently subject […]
General Motors is sprucing things up. The Detroit-based automaker announced on Sept. 15 that it will invest $491 million into its Marion, Ind., metal stamping facility to prepare for the production of various steel and aluminum parts to be used in electric vehicles (EVs). The expenditure will go towards two new press lines, complete press […]