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

Algoma posts narrower Q4 loss, braces for tariff impact as US shipments pause
Algoma Steel's net loss narrowed in the fourth quarter vs. a year earlier amid economic uncertainty and tariff-related issues.

Evraz NA refutes report it falsified tests on plate for US military
Employees at Evraz North America, a subsidiary of Russia's Evraz plc, reportedly falsified quality control test results on armored plate for military vehicles. Evraz NA denies the claims.

Pacific Steel breaks ground on California rebar mill
Pacific Steel Group has broken ground on its Mojave Micro Mill in Southern California.

Nucor lifts weekly HR spot price to $915/ton
Nucor has increased its weekly HR coil spot price for seven consecutive weeks.

American mills urge Trump to maintain no exceptions on steel tariffs
"We urge you to resist any requests for exceptions or exclusions and to continue standing strong on behalf of American steel," the companies wrote.