Barry Zekelman used his Tampa Steel Conference fireside chat to deliver one of the bluntest assessments yet of the forces shaping North American steel. He warned that a flawed tariff structure and an impending power crunch threaten the industry more than most realize.
In short, when tariffs go up, jobs in consuming industries go down. There is conclusive evidence from past actions: safeguard tariffs in 2002 and Section 232 tariffs in 2018. It is happening again in 2025. The Trump administration wants foreign producers (and US retailers) to absorb tariff increases (except in antidumping cases, where foreign absorption of tariffs is illegal).
Domestic steel champion Barry Zekelman joined SMU to discuss the latest issues impacting the US steel market.
The steel market appears to be finding a new, higher normal with the shocks of the pandemic and the Ukraine in the rearview mirror. The good news: a more profitable and consolidated post-Covid US steel industry has been able to invest in operations. That includes efforts to decarbonize. The bad news: That “new normal” could be tested. Because it’s not just domestic sheet prices that have been volatile. Geopolitics are too.
Across industries and nations, it’s clear sustainability is the path towards the future. Moving ahead means creating dialogue and building bridges. For Nucor, building bridges means reaching out to new audiences. Actually, it also literally means soon building bridges from the plate made at its Brandenburg mill in Kentucky.
What does it mean to be a domestic steelmaker in the 21st century? Of course, that idea is open to interpretation. The vibrancy of the US industry is a testament to that. Between integrateds, EAFs, how to approach decarbonization, downstream ventures, American innovation goes in many directions.
Reaction to the price announcements last week by domestic mills varied just a little depending on who you were speaking to. I heard rumblings before the announcements that a price hike of $100 per short ton (st) was coming. After the announcements were made, I had some questions as to whether they were increases at all.
When it comes to finding ways to reduce emissions in steel manufacturing, we are in the all-of-the-above camp.
Electricity demand worldwide is growing significantly, requiring massive investments in the electric grid to supply increased needs and desire for electricity. A recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicates that global demand for electricity will double from 2020 to 2050. In developed economies, the growth rate will be somewhat lower. But it will […]
Nucor has announced a collaboration with fusion power company Helion to develop a 500-megawatt nuclear fusion power plant.