Steel Markets
Honda Begins Production at New Mexican Plant
Written by Sandy Williams
February 25, 2014
Honda began production of the 2015 Honda Fit last week at its new Honda de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (HDM) plant, located in Celaya, Guanajuato. The plant will increase Honda’s annual automotive production capacity in North America to around 1.92 million units. Currently 90 percent of Hondas sold in the US are built in North America; Celaya production will boost that percentage to 95 percent when full capacity is reached.
The $800 million plant took two years to build, will employ 3,200 associates and have an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles and engines. An all-new compact SUV will be added to the production line later this year.
The Celaya plant will exclusively build sub-compact vehicles using advanced technologies that increase quality and efficiency while remaining environmentally sound.
The Celaya Auto Plant is the second plant for Honda de Mexico; the first is located near Guadalajara. HDMs current auto production capacity is 63,000 units annually.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Markets
HVAC shipments slip in September but are still trending higher
Following a strong August, total heating and cooling equipment shipments eased in September to a five-month low, according to the latest data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).
GrafTech Q3 loss widens as electrode demand remains soft
GrafTech International’s third-quarter net loss increased from last year, with the company anticipating continuing weakness in near-term demand for graphite electrodes.
Cliffs forecasts 2025 rebound after Q3’s weakest demand since Covid
The negative impact of high interest rates on consumer behavior, particularly in the automotive and housing sectors, was the primary driver of the demand weakness seen across the third quarter, according to Cleveland-Cliffs executives.
Primetals secures long-term maintenance deals in the Americas
Primetals Technologies renewed two long-term maintenance service contracts with steel producers in the Americas.
Steel imports slip 10% from August to September
September marked the lowest month for steel imports so far this year, according to preliminary Census data released by the Commerce Department.