Contributor: Ethan Bernard

Ethan Bernard

Ethan Bernard is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA. in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

USW International President Tom Conway Dies at 71

Tom Conway, international president of the United Steelworkers (USW) union since 2019, has died at age 71.

Ford of Canada Union Workers Ratify Three-Year Labor Pact

Ford of Canada union workers represented by Unifor ratified a new, three-year labor agreement on Sunday.

UAW Has Upper Hand vs. Automakers: Schenker

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has more leverage than the Detroit Three automakers in the current strike that started Sept. 15, according to Jason Schenker, president of Prestige Economics.

China Has Failed to Comply With WTO Commitments: AISI

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has laid out a case for China’s failure to comply with its World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations, which it joined in 2001.

Zekelman Industries Expanding ZI-Strut Line

Zekelman Industries has announced an expansion of its its ZI-Strut™ metal framing and accessories product line.

Stelco Considering Bid for U.S. Steel: Bloomberg

Canadian steelmaker Stelco Holdings Inc. is now in the mix to purchase U.S. Steel, according to an article in Bloomberg on Thursday, which cited people familiar with the matter.

Deacero Set to Invest $1B in New EAF Mill and Plant Updates in Mexico

Mexican steelmaker Grupo Deacero will invest $1 billion over the next three years as it plans to expand its steel production by 1.2 million tons per year, according to a local report.

Deputy USTR Hits Out at 'Surge' of Mexican Steel Imports

Deputy United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jayme White met on Wednesday with Mexico’s Under Secretary of Economy for Foreign Trade Alejandro Encinas, and discussed issues regarding the “surge” into the US of Mexican steel and aluminum imports.

USS, NETL to Test Carbon Capture Technology at Edgar Thomson Plant

U.S. Steel and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) plan to test carbon-capture technology at the company’s Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pa.

UAW Workers Strike Parts Supplier ZF's Plant in Alabama

United Auto Workers (UAW) union members in Alabama at a parts supplier to Mercedes-Benz have gone on strike.

UAW Set to Expand Strike on Friday if New Deal Not Reached

United Auto Workers (UAW) union president Shawn Fain has announced a new deadline of Friday, Sept. 22, at noon, at which point the union could expand its strike.

Unifor, Ford Extend Negotiations for 24 Hours, Put Off Possible Strike

Unifor, which represents union auto workers in Canada, has extended negotiations with Ford, thus delaying a strike.

USS Expects Lower Q3 Earnings, Says UAW Strike Partly To Blame

U.S. Steel expects earnings to drop in the third quarter vs. the prior quarter and the same period a year earlier as the company adjusts production because of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union strike.

SDI to Provide Steel for Mercedes Plant in Alabama

Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) and Mercedes-Benz have signed an agreement for the automaker to source 50,000 metric tons of C02-reduced steel for its plant in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

SDI Sees Q3 Earnings Drop, Lower Flat-Rolled Tags to Hit Steel Ops

Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) said it expects third-quarter earnings to be lower than the previous quarter and also below the results posted a year earlier.

Final Thoughts

The United Auto Workers (UAW) strike that started Friday leaves the Detroit 3 automakers—and it’s union-represented workers—in uncharted territory.

Unifor Voices Support for UAW as Its Own Strike Deadline Looms

Unifor, the union which represents Canada’s auto workers, has written a letter in solidarity with the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike as its own labor contract deadline nears.

US Prime Scrap, HRC Spread Narrows Further

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and prime scrap prices continued to narrow this month, according to Steel Market Update’s most recent pricing data.

SMU Sentiment Indices Rose Ahead of UAW Strike

SMU's Current and Future Steel Buyers Sentiment Indices both ticked up this week before the United Auto Workers (UAW) union strike was declared, based on our most recent survey data.

Nucor Sees Lower Q3 Earnings, Sheet Mills Take a Hit

Nucor expects third-quarter earnings to be lower sequentially and on-year, the steelmaker said in earnings guidance on Thursday.

Mill Negotiation Rate Soars

The overall steel mill negotiation rate jumped 14 percentage points this week vs. the last market check, with plate's rate rising by eight percentage points, according to SMU's most recent survey data.

Prime Scrap Tags Sink in September, Shredded and HMS Flat

Domestic scrap prices for shredded and HMS were sideways in September vs. August. However, busheling fell precipitously during the month, according to scrap sources surveyed by SMU.

UAW Set to Target Individual Plants at Detroit 3: Report

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union is preparing a “strategic strike,” targeting specific plants at all three of the Detroit automakers, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press.

SDI Inks Pact to Supply Coil to Solar Firm

Steel Dynamics Inc. (Inc.) has entered into a long-term agreement with Array Technologies to provide a fixed supply of coil for the solar tracking equipment maker’s US projects.

Stellantis on 'Good Path' with UAW, New Proposal to Be Submitted: Exec

A Stellantis executive detailed today the progress the automaker is making with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union as a “good path” ahead of Thursday’s contract deadline.

UAW Jeers Automaker Contract Offers Ahead of Sept. 14 Strike Deadline

Automaker Stellantis presented what it said was a "strong" contract offer to the United Auto Workers (UAW) union on Friday. The union's initial reaction was not positive.

USW Workers Ratify Labor Pact at Cliffs' Northshore Ops

Cleveland-Cliffs said on Friday its United Steelworkers (USW) union employees at its Northshore Mining operations in Minnesota have ratified a new three-year labor agreement.

H2 Green Steel Raises ~$1.6B to Fund Plant in Sweden

H2 Green Steel said it has raised ~€1.5 billion (USD$1.6 billion) in equity to finance the company’s large-scale green steel plant in Boden, Sweden, and Europe’s first “giga-scale electrolyzer.”

Senator Says U.S. Steel Must Not Be Acquired by Foreign Firm

US Senator JD Vance (R., Ohio) said U.S. Steel must not be bought by a foreign bidder, according to an op-ed he published on Sept. 5 in the Washington Post.

Steel Shipments in US Fall in July: AISI

Steel shipments in the US were down year over year and sequentially in July, according to the latest data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).