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.

Steel Exports Drop in July but Remain High

US steel exports declined in July for a third consecutive month but remained elevated compared to recent years.

Tenaris Plans Blytheville Restart, Acquires Houston Pipe Processor

Tenaris is planning to restart its operations in Blytheville, Ark.

August Import Licenses Fall to Lowest Level So Far This Year

US imports look to have fallen to their lowest monthly level so far this year, based on August import license data compiled by the US Department of Commerce.

Unifor Picks Ford as Target Automaker in Big Three Labor Talks

Unifor, the union representing Canadian autoworkers, among others, has chosen Ford Motor Co. as the target automaker in its labor negotiations with the Big Three Detroit automakers.

Boston Metal Raises $262M in Latest Fundraising Round

Boston Metal has closed on another round of financing, allowing it to move forward with bringing its breakthrough steelmaking technology to market.

HR Lead Times Near Five Weeks, Plate’s Shorten Again

Steel mill lead times were largely unchanged this week, with hot rolled extending slightly and plate falling back marginally.

Cliffs, USW Reach Tentative Labor Pact at Northshore Mining Ops

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and the United Steelworkers (USW) at Cliffs’ Northshore Mine in Minnesota have reached a tentative labor agreement.

July Imports Fall Back 15% From June’s 12-Month High

The drop in imports from June to July was not as steep as license applications had suggested, but imports were still down both month on month (MoM) and year on year (YoY).

U.S. Steel Confirms NDAs, Begins Due Diligence for Sale

U.S. Steel’s ‘strategic alternatives’ process is continuing. This week the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker confirmed to shareholders that it has entered into nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and has begun due diligence on a potential sale.

Steel Summit: Ternium Mexico CEO Sees Challenges, Opportunities

President and CEO of Ternium Mexico Cesar Jimenez discussed positive demand trends and challenges in the Mexico market with SMU managing editor Michael Cowden during a fireside chat on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at the SMU Steel Summit in Atlanta.

Steel Summit: Reliance CEO Karla Lewis Talks Demand, Company Growth

In a Steel Summit fireside chat, Karla Lewis, president and CEO of service center group Reliance Steel & Aluminum, sat down with SMU managing editor Michael Cowden to talk about current demand trends and where she’s leading her company.

Cliffs Lays Out Path Forward for Deal With U.S. Steel

Cleveland-Cliffs has laid out a path forward for its potential purchase of U.S. Steel.

Flack’s Daniel Doderer Receives 2023 NexGen Leadership Award

Flack Global Metals’ Daniel Doderer was the recipient of the 2023 SMU NexGen Leadership Award.

NexGen Leaders Discuss Recruiting, Retaining Industry Talent

Leaders of the NexGen Metals Community kicked off this year’s Steel Summit discussing ways the steel industry can recruit and retain new talent.

Steel Summit: Reshoring Is Real and Driving Steel Demand, Execs Say

Reshoring or nearshoring in manufacturing is real and happening now. And that trend is driving steel consumption, executives from steelmaker Ternium and service center group Reliance Steel & Aluminum said at SMU’s Steel Summit this week in Atlanta.

Steel Summit: Dr. Basu Says “You Can’t Handle the Truth!” of a Recession

To kick off the official sessions of the 2023 Steel Summit, Dr. Anirban Basu, chairman and CEO of the Sage Policy Group, focused on the broader context in which steel prices are set, outlining major factors currently shaping economic outcomes in our country.

Steel Summit: Zekelman Talks Consolidation, Industry Dynamics

Barry Zekelman, executive chairman and CEO of Zekelman Industries, joined SMU managing editor Michael Cowden in a fireside chat to close out the 2013 Steel Summit’s opening day.

US Steel Exports Remained High in June, More Flat Rolled Going to Mexico

US steel exports remained elevated during the month of June, staying above the 900,000-ton mark for a second consecutive month.

Mexico Announces 25% Import Tariffs on Steel

Mexico has decided to implement import tariffs on a number of products, among them, steel.

USW Gives Cliffs Its Right To Bid on U.S. Steel

The United Steelworkers (USW) union is standing firm in its backing of Cleveland-Cliffs’ bid for U.S. Steel.

U.S. Steel Gives USW Some Assurances in Sales Process

U.S. Steel has provided some clarity for the United Steelworkers (USW) union regarding the union's rights as the steelmaker considers multiple offers to buy the company.

Lead Times Mostly Steady on Sheet, Shorten on Plate

Mill lead times for most sheet products this week were basically flat compared to SMU's market check two weeks ago. Those for plate shortened once again.

Commerce Issues Initial Ruling in Tin Products AD Case

The US Department of Commerce has published its preliminary findings in the antidumping (AD) trade case investigating tin mill products from China and Canada.

Resonac Takes Full Ownership of AMI Automation

Resonac announced this week it plans to acquire 100% of the outstanding shares in Monterrey, Mexico-based AMI Automation.

Sims To Acquire Baltimore Scrap Corp.

Sims Metal is expanding its extensive network of scrap recycling facilities in the US with the addition of Baltimore Scrap Corp. (BSC).

Friedman Expects Hedging Gains To Offset HRC Pricing Pressure

Longview, Texas-based steel processor Friedman Industries is anticipating steady demand in the current quarter.

Greenwave Posts Loss, Foresees ‘Aggressive Consolidation’ in Industry

Despite reporting the third highest quarterly revenues in its history, Greenwave Technology Solutions still posted a loss for the quarter ended June 30.

Stellantis Exec Says UAW Pact Should Be Based on ‘Economic Realism’

Stellantis is apparently not thrilled with the demands of the United Auto Workers as the parties make their way through this year’s labor negotiations.

US Scraps Suspension Agreement, Imposes AD Duties on Russian Plate

US plate producers were successful in their most recent effort to have the suspension agreement on cut-to-length plate imports from Russia removed and replaced with antidumping duties.

Big River Steel Taking Planned Maintenance Outage

U.S. Steel has an upcoming mill outage planned for routine maintenance at its Big River Steel mill in Osceola, Ark.