Contributor: Laura Miller

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held a variety of positions within the steel industry since 2007, including reporting and editing for Steel Business Briefing/Platts, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and Kallanish Commodities, as well as marketing for what was then known as ThyssenKrupp Steel USA (now AM/NS Calvert). After a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel in 2021 and has covered the flat rolled, tubular, and trade areas of the industry. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.

Unifor Members Ratify New Labor Deal with GM Canada

Unifor members in Canada have ratified a new three-year labor agreement with General Motors

Rig Count Inches Up in US, Rebounds in Canada

The latest data from oilfield services provider Baker Hughes shows the number of active rotary rigs in the US and Canada bounced back during the week ended Friday, Oct. 13.

Commerce Updates AD/CVDs on Korean Cold Rolled

The US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) is updating the antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) on cold-rolled steel imports from South Korea.

UAW Announces New Phase of Strike Against 'Big Three' Automakers

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union announced a new phase in its ongoing stand-up strike against the Big Three Detroit-area automakers on Friday.

CMC Reports Strength in North America as Europe Struggles

With solid demand and attractive margins, the North American market has been helping to prop up CMC’s results as its European operations struggle with weaker demand amid challenging market conditions.

SMU Survey: Lead Times Extend Across the Board

This week’s survey showed steel mill lead times extending across all product lines tracked by SMU.

Commerce Gives Final Ruling in Japanese Tin Products Sunset Review

The US Department of Commerce has issued its final ruling in an expedited sunset review of antidumping duties on imports of tin mill products from Japan.

Samuel Appoints New CFO

Samuel, Son & Co. has named Maria Perrella as its new CFO.

Leeco Names New Sales Manager for Northern Region

Leeco Steel has promoted Tom Murray to sales manager, north. The appointment was effective Oct. 1.

Unifor Reaches Labor Deal with GM Hours After Striking

Canada’s Unifor union reached a tentative labor agreement with General Motors on Tuesday, Oct. 10.

H2 Green Steel Considers Quebec for New Mill

H2 Green Steel is in talks with Canada to potentially build a new green steel project in Quebec.

Olympic Names New Aluminum Sales Director

Cleveland-based service center group Olympic Steel has named a new aluminum sales director.

September Import Licenses Steady, Flat Rolled Permits Rise

A slowdown in US steel imports has yet to be seen, as total import licenses in September were about even with August’s import levels.

UAW Making Progress with Big Three, Opts Not to Expand Strike

The United Auto Workers’ (UAW) strike against the Big Three Detroit-area automakers was not expanded on Friday, as “significant progress” is being made in contract negotiations.

Two of Big Three Automakers Report Strong Q3 Sales Growth

The Big Three automakers reported their third-quarter sales this week, with two of the three showing strong year-over-year gains.

SMU Community Chat: Ken Simonson Shares the Latest on Construction

A recap of SMU's Oct. 4, 2023, Community Chat featuring AGC chief economist Ken Simonson and his outlook for the construction markets.

Ryerson Buys Wisconsin Fabricator Norlen Inc.

Ryerson has acquired Norlen Inc., a Wisconsin-based metal fabricator, for an undisclosed sum.

Algoma Extends Iron Ore Purchase Agreement with U.S. Steel

Algoma Steel Group has extended its iron ore purchase agreement with U.S. Steel for another two years.

Cliffs Inks NDA with U.S. Steel, Source Confirms

Cleveland-Cliffs has signed a non-disclosure agreement with U.S. Steel as the latter continues with its strategic review sales process.

UAW, Mack Trucks Avert Strike with New Labor Deal

A UAW strike at Mack Trucks was avoided this week when a tentative labor agreement was reached.

Metalformers’ Pessimism Grows on UAW Strike Concerns

Pessimism grew among metalformers in September’s business report from the Precision Metalforming Association.

GrafTech CEO To Step Down

Electrode producer GrafTech International announced on Thursday, Sept. 28 that its president and CEO is stepping down.

UAW Expands Strike to Ford and GM Assembly Plants

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union expanded its strike on Friday, calling on an additional 7,000 workers at Ford and General Motors plants to strike as of 12 p.m. ET.

Sheet Lead Times Mixed, Plate Plummets

While lead times for sheet again had mixed movements this week, those for plate collapsed, according to SMU’s most recent market survey.

Worthington So Far Seeing Little Impact from UAW Strike

Worthington Industries said it has so far been little impacted by the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike.

Algoma’s CEO Highlights the Switch to Greener Steelmaking

As the world works to decarbonize and limit greenhouse-gas emissions to reach the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, many steel companies have joined others in setting their own targets to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

US and Canadian Rig Counts Tick Back Up

The number of active oil and gas drilling rigs in the US and Canada increased this week, according to the most recent data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes.

HRC vs. Galv Price Spread Widened This Summer

The spread between hot-rolled coil (HRC) and galvanized sheet base prices widened throughout the summer as hot rolled prices declined faster than those of galvanized.

Steel Mill Lead Times Hold Steady

Steel mill lead times were basically flat again this week compared to our previous market check, with production times shrinking slightly for hot rolled and cold rolled, and extending for galvanized, Galvalume, and plate.

U.S. Steel’s Fruehauf Touts Steel as Key to Clean Energy Transition

Richard Fruehauf, U.S. Steel's chief of strategy and sustainability officer, spoke at Reuter's Industry Transition 2023 conference on Tuesday, Sept. 12.