Final Thoughts
Final thoughts
Written by Ethan Bernard
March 12, 2024
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, and downstream ventures, American innovation goes in many directions. Still, if you are interested in getting a glimpse of what the future in general might look like, there may be no better place to go than the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.
The festival brings together some of the world’s biggest players in areas as diverse as media, tech, education, healthcare, etc. Oh, and steel.
On Sunday, I had the pleasure of attending a panel at the festival given by Nucor. Now, a number of steelmakers in the US have explored avenues outside of strictly producing steel. And Nucor is definitely one of them.
Walking over to the venue in downtown Austin, I got the impression that this festival could be a bit different than steel conferences I’ve attended. Maybe it was the technicolor Ferris wheel or the ads for virtual reality salons that let me know this might be something with a twist.
Tabitha Stine, Nucor’s general manager of energy solutions services, moderated a panel with a representative from the US Department of Energy, as well as an executive from both Microsoft and nuclear fusion research company Helion Energy.
Titled “Powering the Future of Clean Energy,” the panel highlighted how clean energy, and nuclear energy specifically, will play an integral part in supplying America’s future energy needs.
Nucor, partnered with Helion, reiterated the company’s goal to have a 500 mw nuclear fusion plant power a Nucor steelmaking facility by 2030.
While it may seem ambitious, this shows that many of the net-zero targets that seemed so far away are actually around the corner. And a lot of work is being done to bring ambitious goals from the theoretical down into reality.
Just from the companies and organizations presenting, I got an insight into the road leading into the future. Technology firms partnered with industry, and linked up with the government to deal with issues such as regulation and funding innovation. Also, there’s the matter of updating the country’s infrastructure and electric grid in which government at all levels will play a crucial role.
Now, in my opinion, crucial to any conference is the drinks reception afterward. And this one did not disappoint. However, unlike the AI conference I attended last year, this time I was flanked by hospitable Nucor execs to whom the words “rebar” and “hot rolled” did not elicit stares of confusion. A definite plus.
But I did pocket the card of someone from a robotics startup and talk to some Dutch folks involved in healthcare innovation. A very different crowd. Taking it all in, I made a note to myself. Yes, I will float up the chain the possibility of a futuristic Ferris wheel at Steel Summit, maybe even powered by renewable energy. But I can’t make any promises.
SMU Community Chat
Don’t forget to sign up for out next Community Chat on Wednesday, March 20, at 11 a.m. ET with Barry Zekelman, chairman and CEO of Zekelman Industries. You can register here.
And, as always, thanks to all of you for your continued support of SMU!
Ethan Bernard
Read more from Ethan BernardLatest in Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
President Donald Trump on Sunday hammered Colombia with 25% tariffs and threatened to increase them to 50%. Trump in a post on Truth Social said he took the action not because of a trade dispute but because the South American nation had refused to accept planes carrying deported immigrants. The president also cited "national security" concerns, just as he did to justify 25% Section 232 tariffs on steel in his first term. Even the 50% threat echoes his first term. Turkish steel, like that of most nations, was assessed a 25% tariff in March 2018. Trump doubled Turkey's tariff to 50% via a tweet in August of that year over a matter unrelated to steel.
Final Thoughts
We surveyed many of you this week and asked what you wanted to see from the new Trump administration. Responses were varied but fell largely into three groups: tariffs and trade policy, the Nippon-U.S. Steel deal, and those who are concerned about too much government sway in steel. Some also expressed hope that President Trump would continue the infrastructure spending that began under former President Biden.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes new presidential administrations hit the ground running. No time for change like the present. And sometimes new administrations blast off on a SpaceX rocket bound for Mars. There’s a big universe, and we’ve got a lot of flags to plant. Such seems to be the case with the new Trump administration.
Final Thoughts
What’s been the impact of tariff threats on prices and demand? In short, not much – or at least that was the case when I was writing this column on Sunday afternoon. Spot activity for Canadian material, for example, has been put on hold over the last few weeks while the market waits to see what the new tariff landscape might look like.
Final Thoughts
Next Monday marks the start of the second Trump administration. The limbo we’ve been living in since Election Day in early November will finally come to an end. What better way to take a look at what’s coming up in Washington, D.C., than a conversation with Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) President Philip K. Bell. He […]