The United Steel Workers received an outline of a contract proposal from US Steel Corp. and found it riddled with concessions that the USW says would “erode decades of contractural improvements and benefits.” Health benefits seem to be a consistent theme in labor negotiations this year. US Steel is seeking to increase the minimum annual […]
Texas manufacturing has been in a slump for several months but is beginning to show signs of improvement. Manufacturing activity in Texas declined slightly in July according to The Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Most of the indexes in the survey were in negative numbers but slowly creeping […]
The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond released its manufacturing survey for the Fifth District on Tuesday showing moderate expansion in July. Shipments, new orders, and order backlogs all increased during the month. The composite index rose to 13 from 7 in June and 3 in May. The employment indices decreased to 1 while the wages […]
Essar Steel Algoma announced a return to profitability with income from operations of CDN $76.3 million at the closing of its fiscal year 2015 on March 31, 2015. “Fiscal 2015 marked a turnaround for Essar Steel Algoma. Through the recently announced Modernization and Expansion Program, we expect to offer a much broader range of advanced […]
US Steel wants “to turn back the clock” in contract demands said the United Steelworkers in a statement on the ongoing contract negotiations. “While we have yet to receive a formal, detailed proposal from the company, it’s clear from this initial outline that U.S. Steel is attempting to use the current industry downturn to gut […]
US Steel Canada has a new financial backer to help it through its credit protection period. A court hearing on Friday removed parent company US Steel as provider of debtor in possession (DIP) financing and installed Brookfield Capital Partners as the new lender. The new lending package gives USSC access to $150 million to keep […]
Essar Steel Algoma is investing CDN $240 million to modernize and expand its facilities to meet the global demand for advanced grades of steel. The investment includes $60 million in financial support from the governments of Ontario and Canada. Essar Steel Algoma received a $30 million grant from Ontario’s Ministry of Northern Development and Mines […]
ArcelorMittal submitted its first proposal to the USW negotiating committee on Monday. According to USW, the three-year keeps wages as is, cuts benefits, raises health premiums and makes changes to retirement contributions. The USW posted the following changes proposed by the Company in an update to members: The company has proposed a three-year contract with […]
Nucor Corporation announced net earnings of $124.8 million for second quarter. Sales of $4.36 billion were down 1 percent from Q1 and 18 percent from Q2 2014. Total tons shipped increased by 5 percent from first quarter to 6,055,000 tons but were down 13 percent year over year. Imports pressured average sales price per ton, decreasing […]
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Company reported strong profits despite sliding sales and shipments in the second quarter. Net income was $90.2 million, a 2.4 percent drop from first quarter. Earnings per diluted share of $1.20 were above second quarter guidance. Sales of $2.42 billion slipped 7.3 percent from first quarter and 7.4 percent year over […]
A unfair trade case was filed by US pipe and tube producers on Tuesday against makers and exporters of heavy-walled rectangular steel pipes and tubes from South Korea, Mexico and Turkey. The product in question is commonly called “structural tubing” and is used in construction, transportation and farm applications. The alleged dumping margins filed by […]
The Architecture Billings Index jumped to 55.7 in June from a reading of 51.9 in May for the highest score since 2007. All design categories showed improvement except for multi-family construction which has been in a slowing trend so far in 2015. The new projects inquiry index rose to 63.4, from 61.5 the previous month. […]
SSAB Americas reported sales of SEK 3,027 million ($351 million) in second quarter, down 14 percent from first quarter and 4 percent year over year. Steel shipments of 471,000 tonnes (519,180 tons) declined 1 percent sequentially and 10 percent year over year. Crude steel production was down 2 percent from the previous quarter and 8 […]
Steel Dynamics expressed concern about imports during the company’s second quarter earnings call. “On the trade front, we’re pleased the ITC has confirmed the flood of unfairly traded imports of corrosion-resistant sheets deal has materially reduced our shipments, pricing and profitability. I believe in fair trade, but the U.S. has become a dumping ground for […]
U.S. West Coast and Gulf ports seem to be in pretty good operating condition right now. The Port of Houston received over 6 million tons of steel imports in 2014, making it a record year for the port. In a “normal” year Houston can expect to see 3.5 to 4 million tons annually. Our Houston […]
Contract negotiations are currently underway between the United Steel Workers and steel companies US Steel and ArcelorMittal. The companies each met with USW bargaining committee members in Pittsburgh to begin working out details of new three-year contracts to replace the current ones expiring Sept. 1. USW Committee members are expecting the first proposal from ArcelorMittal […]
US Steel Canada is requesting a new DIP (Debtor in Possession) Lender to replace parent company US Steel Corp. in its creditor protection proceedings. An agreement has been made with Brookfield Capital Partners Ltd for financing up to $150 million Canadian. Brookfield was one of the hedge funds that originally helped Stelco out of creditor […]
NLMK USA second quarter crude steel production rose to 130,000 tonnes (143,298 tons), a 39 percent increase from the previous quarter. Finished steel output totaled 490,000 tonnes (540,123 tons), up 20 percent q/q. USA sales in Q2 grew 12 percent q/q to 480,000 tonnes (529,100 tons). Hot rolled steel production was up 20 percent to […]
The July 2015 Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed slightly improved conditions for New York state manufacturers. The index rose six points to 3.9 following a negative reading in June. The index has been hovering around the zero point for the last four months indicating that business activity has been subdued. Graphic representation of the period […]
The Philadelphia Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey showed slower growth in business activity in July. The headline index dropped to 5.7 from 15.2 in June but remained positive for the month. The index has been in single digits so far this year with the exception of June. New orders slipped eight points in July while the […]
Indiana Harbor West is not on the cutting block according to ArcelorMittal USA CEO Andrew Harshaw. In response to media reports that an asset rationalization may occur involving the Chicago area mill, Harshaw said, “What I want to assure you is that we have no intention of reducing our blast furnace capacity in the United […]
Contract talks opened July 13 between the United Auto Workers union and the big three Detroit automakers. As GM, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler enter negotiations, at issue for the companies is labor costs. GM and Ford are looking to cut labor cost that average $8 to $9 per hour higher than at Honda and Toyota. […]
ArcelorMittal responded Monday to rumors of a potential closure of Indiana Harbor West in East Chicago. Key Banc reported that sources indicated “ArcelorMittal USA is taking steps to reduce its sheet hot end and finishing capabilities via the closure of Indiana Harbor West.” A spokesperson at ArcelorMittal USA, in an email to Steel Market Update, […]
Steel Market Update queried U.S. domestic steel mills to hear what they have to say on the recently passed trade legislation. One of the executives who responded was Jim Baske, chief executive officer, ArcelorMittal North American Flat Rolled who said, “The steel industry in the United States faces significant competitive challenges from dumped and subsidized […]
Contract negotiations have kicked off between the United Steelworkers and US Steel Corp. USW officials and US Steel representatives met in Pittsburgh to begin ironing out the details of a new three year contract to replace the current one due to expire Sept. 1. The talks come at a time when the steel industry is […]
Building planning declined in June according to the Dodge Momentum Index published by Dodge Data & Analytics. The Index, which is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, dropped 1.3 percent to 118.3 from 119.9 in May. Overall, the Index is just 2.2 percent higher than June 2014 and […]
The four year contract between USW local 1196 and Allegheny Technologies expired at 11:59 on June 30, 2015 but an agreement has been reached, for now, to keep the plant operational under terms of the previous contract. ATI and USW officials say there are still a number of significant issues to be resolved before a […]
AIIS, Falls Church, VA. July 9, 2015. Steel exports increased 3 percent from April to May, though they remained well below the level of a year ago. The United States shipped 870,099 net tons of steel in May, 16 percent less than the May 2014 total. Most of the growth resulted from a more than […]
Steel buyers in the ISM Steel Buyers Survey continue to be cautiously optimistic that general economic activity will improve over the next six months. In the June survey, 38.5 percent of buyers expect economic conditions to improve, up from 30.8 percent in the May survey. However, 61.5 percent expect unchanged conditions during the period, up […]
ArcelorMittal USA warns that low capacity utilization of hot strip mills cannot continue. “It is not sustainable to operate multiple HSMs at low utilization rates when the same volume of steel could be produced by few HSMs at higher utilization rates,” writes CEO Andrew Harshaw, in the ArcelorMittal USA blog Raw. Harshaw notes record levels […]