Steel Markets
GM Finds Chips, Dodges Shutdowns at Two Plants
Written by Michael Cowden
April 13, 2021
General Motors has secured enough microchips to resume output earlier than planned at one U.S. assembly plant and to avoid taking downtime at a facility in Mexico.
“GM’s supply chain organization has made strides working with our supply base to mitigate the near-term impacts of the semiconductor situation,” a company spokesman told Steel Market Update on Tuesday, April 13.
The Detroit-based automaker will resume output at its Spring Hill, Tenn., assembly plant in the week of April 19. The facility–which builds the Cadillac XT5 and XT6 SUVs as well as the GMC Acadia SUV–was expected to be idled both this week and next.
And the company is cancelling previously planned downtime at its Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico on a line that makes the Chevrolet Blazer SUV.
The trend is notable because automakers have more often been compelled to extend downtime because of chip and other parts shortages as well as various supply chain snarls.
Ford, for example, is running only two of nine plants in the U.S. and Canada at normal rates this week.
Despites such outages, flat-rolled steel prices have continued to march steadily higher.
By Michael Cowden, Michael@SteelMarketUpdate.com
Michael Cowden
Read more from Michael CowdenLatest in Steel Markets
CMC looks beyond Arizona micro-mill woes to long-term viability of construction mart
Despite the economic and geopolitical upheaval of the last five years, CMC President and CEO Peter Matt points out that the construction market has been an essential element of the way forward.
US importers face stricter rules under revamped S232 tariffs
“CBP expects full compliance from the trade community for accurate reporting and payment of the additional duties. CBP will take enforcement action on non-compliance," the agency said in a March 7 bulletin.
Steel exports rebound in January
US steel exports recovered to a five-month high in January after having fallen to a two-year low in December. This growth follows four consecutive months of declining exports.
Construction spending drops marginally in January
Construction spending edged down slightly in January, slipping for the first time in four months. The US Census Bureau estimated spending at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,196 billion in January, down 0.2% from December’s downward revised rate. The January figure is 3.3% higher than a year ago. January’s result, despite the slight erosion, […]
HVAC equipment shipments slow in December but strong annually
Shipments of heating and cooling equipment in the US fell to an 11-month low in December, according to the latest data released by the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).