Category: Shipping and Logistics

Canadian steelmaker ArcelorMittal Dofasco could be impacted by a strike on the St. Lawrence Seaway, a company spokeswoman said.

The St. Lawrence Seaway is shut down after members of Canada’s Unifor union went on strike against the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. (SLSMC) this past weekend.

Water levels on the Mississippi River continue to drop due to a lack of rain. This could potentially disrupt the steel supply chain should the low levels persist.

Port workers on Canada’s West Coast are on strike, and ports are already feeling the impact of the slowdown in the movement of goods. More than 7,400 workers represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU Canada) took to the picket lines starting on July 1 after failing to reach a new labor […]

With the US aluminum industry at a critical juncture, a new report is highlighting ways the Biden administration can use the Global Arrangement for Sustainable Steel and Aluminum (GASSA) to help the struggling domestic industry. Recall CRU’s aluminum analysts have previously shared with SMU the nightmare US aluminum smelters have been facing when it comes […]

In good news for the movement of goods on the West Coast, a tentative labor agreement has been reached between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). The new, six-year contract covers more than 22,000 ILWU dock workers represented at 29 West Coast ports. Details of the tentative agreement, which […]

Despite a record backlog, Northwest Pipe Co. is experiencing a challenging start to the year, with customer-driven delays and severe weather hampering production at its various facilities. The Vancouver, Wash.-based company noted the challenges as it released its fourth-quarter and full-year 2022 results. Q4 brought higher production tonnages but lower selling prices within Northwest’s engineered steel […]

This past week was a rather notable one in recent memory when it comes to steel prices. We saw a wave of $60-per-ton sheet price hikes announced by domestic mills. It’s somewhat of an unfamiliar sight in the industry over the past couple of years or so, but just about everyone got in on the […]

Legislation is pending in our nation’s capital that would force railroad unions to accept the national labor agreement proposed in September in order to avoid a labor strike. After being urged by President Joe Biden on Nov. 28 to enact the legislation, the bill was passed in the House of Representatives today, Nov. 30. It will now go […]

The White House released a statement on Nov. 28 requesting Congress to pass immediate legislation that would adopt the tentative agreement between railroad workers and operators. As concerns of a rail strike grow, an agreement could deter members from striking. “This agreement was approved by labor and management negotiators in September. On the day that […]

The potential for a rail strike still remains after the results of union votes were announced on Nov. 21. While members of the SMART yardmasters and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) voted to accept their proposed labor deals, members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers – Transportation […]

As steel volumes continue to grow, the Port of Hamilton, Ontario, is receiving funding from the Canadian government to increase its steel handling productivity. Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund is providing CAD $4.9 million (US $3.65 million) in funding to relieve supply chain congestion at the port. The waterway is a critical piece of infrastructure […]

Drought-stricken rivers have affected areas across the United States, leaving some concerned about the impact that persistent dry skies might have. The steel industry relies heavily upon the ability to ship material up and down the Mississippi River, as shipping high volumes of goods via barge is substantially cheaper than truck or rail. However, if […]

The potential for a rail strike in the US has been pushed back to early December. But concerns remain for the steel industry, which relies heavily on rail transportation. After rejecting a proposed national labor contract in October and reigniting the possibility of a rail strike, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) Division […]

Just weeks after a union representing rail workers across the nation rejected a proposed labor agreement, a second union has now also voted down the national tentative agreement, further reigniting the potential for a national railway strike. The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) voted against ratification of the tentative agreement which was reached on Sept. […]

Nearly a month after reaching a tentative labor agreement, the possibility of a rail strike is back on the table, as the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division (BMWED) of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union announced on Oct. 10 the rejection of its deal with the freight rail lines. Union members voted in […]

BNSF Railway is thinking of a master plan. The Class I freight railroad announced on Oct. 1 its plans to invest more than $1.5 billion into a master-planned inland facility in Southern California. Named Barstow International Gateway, BNSF’s new hub location will be approximately 135 miles northeast from the Ports of Long Beach and Los […]

Shipments of iron and steel, coke, and scrap metal on the St. Lawrence Seaway System were robust in the first eight months of this year, according to the latest figures released by the Great Lakes Seaway Partnership. Steel shipments on the Seaway were up 3.92% from the same period of 2021, reaching 1.282 million metric […]

On the heels of a lengthy arbitration period, union negotiators and the major rail companies have settled on a tentative labor agreement to further avoid a strike. A statement made on Sept. 15 by the US Department of Labor noted, “Moments ago, following 20 consecutive hours of negotiations at the Department of Labor, rail companies […]

East coast ports are currently battling crippling congestion, a problem that will likely not wane as we approach peak cargo season. To avoid west coast congestion, many importers have diverted shipments eastward. Unfortunately, the same challenges followed. As excess containers stack up, the port of New York and New Jersey has resolved to implement a […]

Austal USA has been contracted to build two more towing, salvage, and rescue ships (T-ATS) for the US Navy. The latest contract for the Mobile, Ala.-based shipbuilder, valued at $156 million, is in addition to two other T-ATS contracts awarded to the company last year. The T-ATSs support the Navy fleet operations with ocean-going tug, […]

Houston-area coil importers may be searching urgently for more storage space in coming weeks. Watco Texas Terminals at the Port of Houston have experienced decreased capacity in recent months due to a drop in outgoing shipments. Sources say some importers have had to find alternatives for material that has already hit the docks. But that’s […]

TA Services has opened a new location on the site of Nucor Steel Hertford in Cofield, N.C., providing immediate access to truckload capacity for plate products produced at the mill. The logistics provider broke ground on the mill site in January of this year. The Nucor Steel Hertford mill, with an annual capacity of 1.7 […]

Austal USA has won another contract with the US Navy. This latest design and construction contract is valued at $128 million. Austal will build a medium auxiliary floating dry dock for the US Navy at its shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Ala. The dry dock will have an overall length of 694 feet, an overall pontoon […]

Shipbuilder Austal USA has officially opened its new steel manufacturing line to build steel ships for the US Navy and Coast Guard. The ultra-modern steel shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Ala., enables the simultaneous production of both aluminium and steel hulled ships, the company said. Known for its construction of aluminum vessels, the shipbuilder’s new 118-throusand-square-foot […]

Fuel surcharges continue to march higher along with increased steel prices and ballooning costs for raw materials such as ferrous scrap and pig iron. Case in point: Wheeling-Nippon Steel’s fuel surcharge will increase to 24% effective with shipments on Monday, April 4. “The surcharge will continue to be added to the freight on all invoices […]

The Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (CP) and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) reached an agreement to enter binding arbitration and return to work today, averting a widespread rail shutdown that threatened to aggravate North America’s supply-chain woes. With a structured shutdown in effect following a 72-hour lockout notice issued on March 17, CP trains […]

Canadian Pacific is engaged in a “structured shutdown” of its train operations across Canada after negotiations between the company and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) soured. Each side blamed the other for the work stoppage. “The TCRC is well aware of the damage this reckless action will cause to the Canadian supply chain,” CP […]

North American’s supply-chain problems may be further complicated by a work stoppage of Canadian railway workers beginning Monday. The Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP) issued a 72-hour lockout notice to Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents more than 3,000 engineers, conductors and other personnel, in the event the two sides can’t reach a negotiated […]

In a letter to the White House on Thursday, the American Trucking Associations called on the Biden administration to boost domestic energy production and take other steps to provide relief at the pump for truckers and other motorists. Fuel is the second largest operating expense for trucking fleets, and surging diesel prices threaten to decimate […]