Steel Mills
ArcelorMittal Hints at Big Plans for AM/NS Calvert
Written by Sandy Williams
March 5, 2020
ArcelorMittal has big plans for AM/NS Calvert. Lakshmi Mittal, chairman of ArcelorMittal, hinted at a multi-billion dollar investment in Alabama during a press conference with President Donald Trump in India last week.
Mittal thanked Trump for his involvement in the U.S. steel industry, calling the Section 232 tariffs a “big lesson for the rest of the world on how to support domestic manufacturing.”
He continued, “I must thank you for what you have done for the steel industry, what you have done for the tax reform, what you have done to reduce regulations. I’ve never seen the extent of ease of doing business like what we experience in the United States anywhere else in the world. So, I must congratulate you for creating an ease of business ecosystem.”
Mittal did not reveal any further details on the investment. A spokesperson for ArcelorMittal confirmed that announcements will be forthcoming.
“We believe that there are opportunities to further strengthen ArcelorMittal’s existing operations in Alabama to ensure that we are securing cost-competitive slab supplies as well as optimize the productivity of the asset,” said the spokesperson. “Detailed analysis is ongoing and further announcements will be made in due course as appropriate.”
Speculation is that ArcelorMittal will be building an EAF to make steel slab at the Alabama plant. The 50/50 joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel includes a hot strip mill, cold rolling mill and three hot-dip galvanizing lines. The facility has a production capacity of 5.3 million tons of flat rolled carbon steel products annually.
AM/NS Calvert currently receives slab shipments from Ternium in Brazil. The supply agreement is scheduled to expire in December 2020. Having its own steelmaking facility would ensure a steady supply of steel and improve efficiency at Calvert.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills
Opening briefs filed in Nippon/USS lawsuit vs. US government
Together, Nippon Steel, Nippon Steel North America, and U.S. Steel announced the filing of their opening brief in their litigation to invalidate the government’s decision to block their announced merger. The brief lays out “how President Biden made a predetermined decision for political reasons, not national security, causing CFIUS to engage in a sham review […]
Cliffs blames muted auto demand for steep losses in 2024
Muted demand from the auto industry took a particular toll later in the year.
U.S. Steel losses widen, better times seen as BR2 ramp-up continues
U.S. Steel’s losses widened in the fourth quarter on lower steel prices, weaker demand, and startup costs relating to the expansion of its Big River Steel EAF sheet mill in Arkansas. But the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker said it expected results to improve in 2025 as Big River 2 – the project to double capacity at the Osceola, Ark., mill - gains steam.
Nucor set to soon bring plenty of new capacity online
The projects collectively represent ~65% of Nucor’s capital expenditures budget for this year.
JSW Steel USA earnings fell in quarter ended Dec. 31
JSW Steel USA’s operations took earnings hits in the quarter ended Dec. 31. And Indian parent company JSW Steel believes potential tariff hikes by the Trump administration could hamper declining inflation in the US. JSW Steel USA operates the Mingo Junction slab and hot-rolled sheet mill in Ohio and the Baytown plate and pipe and […]