The US Department of Commerce said it will maintain anti-dumping and countervailing duties on oil country tubular goods (OCTG) imported from China, in announcement made earlier this month (February). The recent decision closed loopholes in the 2009 AD/CV duties imposed by the International Trade Commission, which allowed pipe made in China but finished in other […]
The Empire State Manufacturing Index for general business conditions fell 8 points to 4.5 in the February 2014 Empire State Manufacturing Survey after rising 10 points in January. New orders were flat for the month, declining 11 points to -0.2. Manufacturers remained optimistic about business conditions for the next six months. The future general business […]
ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NSSMC) announced the new name for the “world’s most modern steel finishing facility”—the former ThyssenKrupp mill in Alabama—will be AM/NS Calvert. The announcement was made during a private employee-only reception held at facility on Thursday. “The name is AM/NS Calvert. AM and NS need no explanation. And […]
US Steel Canada announced that 30-year Stelco and US Steel veteran Kevin Wong will take over as plant manager at US Steel Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke. Wong’s current position as plant manager at US Steel Hamilton Works will be eliminated. Wong will replace American manager David Armstrong II who will move to the Gary, […]
The Chicago Business Barometer indicated firm growth in February while remaining essentially unchanged at 59.8 in February compared to 59.6 in January, according to MNI Indicators. Production, new orders, and backlogs expanded at a slower rate offsetting double digit growth in employment. Prices paid dropped in February following price increases by suppliers in January. Inventories […]
The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index for December showed home prices edging down by 0.1 percent for the second consecutive month in the 20-City Composite Home Price Index. Home prices year-over-year, however, rose 11.3 percent. “The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index ended its best year since 2005,” said David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at […]
The sale of ThyssenKrupp USA to 50/50 joint venture partners ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation is finally complete. The $1.5 billion acquisition of the Calvert, Ala., hot rolled, cold rolled and coating and finishing mill has met all regulatory approvals allowing ThyssenKrupp a sigh of relief and AM & NSSMC the opportunity […]
ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp (NSSMC) sent a letter to Calvert customers on Thursday assuring them of a seamless transition for the Alabama facility. The existing Calvert sales team will be integrated into the ArcelorMittal USA sales and marketing organization. Customers will be able to work with their current customer representative while […]
Olympic Steel reported a net loss of $1.4 million for the fourth quarter 2013. Net sales for the quarter were $290.5 million, nearly even with Q4 2012 sales of $291.7 million Full year results showed an increase in net income to $7.6 million. Full year sales declined 8.7 percent to $1.3 billion in 2013, shy […]
Orders for durable goods decreased $2.2 billion or 1.0 percent in January to $225 billion according to the US Census Bureau’s advance report. Orders have been down three of the last four months and followed a 5.3 percent decline in December. The three month moving average fell for the second consecutive month, dropping 1.23 percent […]
Sales of new single family homes rose 9.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 468,000 in January from a revised December rate of 427,000, according to data released by the US Census Bureau and US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The year-over-year increase of home sales was 2.2 percent above the January […]
US Steel says it will lay off workers at its Lorain Tubular Operations. The number of affected employees and timeline has not yet been announced. The statement from US Steel regarding the layoffs is as follows: “We continually review and analyze business conditions and the impact they have on our customers. As a result of […]
Honda began production of the 2015 Honda Fit last week at its new Honda de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (HDM) plant, located in Celaya, Guanajuato. The plant will increase Honda’s annual automotive production capacity in North America to around 1.92 million units. Currently 90 percent of Hondas sold in the US are built in North […]
Australian company BlueScope Steel announced EBIT of AUD$48.7 million ($44 million) for its Hot Rolled Products North America segment for the first half of FY 2014 ending December 31, 2013. EBIT increased 48 percent from the same period in FY 2013. The segment includes a 50 percent interest in US-based North Star BlueScope Steel Ltd […]
A stronger performance is expected in all end-markets for 2014 said Reliance Steel & Aluminum in the company’s recent conference call. The following are some comments by Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board David Hannah and Gregg Mollins, President and Chief Operating Officer on the steel market and industry. Regarding pricing Gregg Mollins […]
A Nebraska court ruled Wednesday that a law passed in 2011 improperly allowed Gov. Dave Heineman to give TransCanada eminent domain power to advance the Keystone XL pipeline project in Nebraska. The decision regarding eminent domain should have been made by the Nebraska Public Service Commission, ruled Lancaster Judge Stephanie Stacy. The 2011 law was […]
It’s hard to sell cars when they are covered by snow and customers are being warned to stay safe and snug at home. As a result, auto dealers watched sales freeze and inventory pile up in January. Total auto inventory increased to 3.61 million units at the end of January, the highest it’s been in […]
The Architecture Billings Index, an indicator of future construction activity, rose in January after contracting in previous consecutive months. The ABI reflects a nine to twelve month lead time between architectural billings and construction spending. The ABI press release from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is reprinted in entirety below. For more information on […]
Gibraltar Industries is expecting 2014 growth to be driven mainly by the residential new construction and residential remodeling said the company in its earnings call on Feb. 20. “While we’re starting 2014 at a relatively slow pace given the cold and harsh weather in much of the country since the new year, we believe the […]
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Company reports fourth quarter 2013 sales for all products were $2.31 billion, up 22.1 percent from $1.89 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012 and down 5.6 percent from $2.44 billion in the third quarter of 2013. Net income for the quarter was $61.8 million, compared to $95.1 million in third […]
Latin America steel producer Ternium reports net sales of $2.1 billion on 2.23 million tons of steel shipments and 994,000 tons of iron ore shipments in the fourth quarter 2013. Steel shipments were down 3 percent from third quarter but up 3.0 percent from fourth quarter 2012. Net income was $171.1 million, up from $136 […]
General business conditions fell 8 points in the February 2014 Empire State Manufacturing Survey after rising 10 points in January, but remained positive at 4.5. New orders were flat for the month, declining 11 points to -0.2. The shipment index dropped 13 points to 2.1. The inventory index fell to -5.0 indicating a slight drop […]
The Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) reported metalforming companies surveyed in the February 2014 Business Conditions Report are expecting weaker business conditions during the next three months. Those who expect economic activity to improve during the period slipped from 46 percent in January to 32 percent in February. PMA members anticipate a modest decline in incoming orders […]
Winter weather has taken its toll on builder confidence in the single-family home market says the National Association of Homebuilders. Builders also expressed concern about labor shortage and scarcity of available lots. The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index dropped 10 points to 46, with all three of the major components of the index falling in […]
Nucor Corp. announced the election of Gregory J. Hayes to the board of directors on Feb. 17, effective immediately. Hayes has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United Technologies Inc. (UTC), a provider of high-technology products to the global aerospace and building systems industries, since 2008. Prior to UTC, Hayes served […]
ThyssenKrupp AG finances are beginning to improve. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) more than doubled to €247 million ($338 million) in the first quarter FY 2013-2014 (ending Dec. 31, 2013). Net debt dropped to €4.6 billion ($6.3 billion) from €5 billion ($6.8 billion) the previous quarter. ThyssenKrupp’s gearing ratio (net debt to equity) was […]
The Volkswagen AG workers at the Chattanooga automotive assembly plant voted 712 to 626 against unionizing on Friday, Feb. 14. The defeat is a major setback for the UAW which has seen dwindling membership in the last several years. The UAW’s membership has fallen from a peak of 1.5 million in 1979 to just around […]
The European Union was formed in 1992 with the signing of the Maastricht Treaty on European Union (TEU). In an effort to instill fiscal discipline and encourage trade and free flow of labor and capital without giving up sovereignty, member countries would participate in a monetary union while remaining fiscally independent. The caveat was countries […]
The US Department of Commerce said it will maintain anti-dumping and countervailing duties on oil country tubular goods (OCTG) imported from China, in announcement made earlier this week. The recent decision closed loopholes in the 2009 AD/CV duties imposed by the International Trade Commission, which allowed pipe made in China but finished in other countries […]
Lourenco Goncalves, former CEO of Metals USA, is being nominated by Casablanca Capital, an activist fund, to replace James Kirsch as CEO of Cliffs Natural Resources. Casablanca has called for Cliffs to spin off its international ore business to shareholders and convert its North American assets to a master limited partnership (MLP). Casablanca Capital announced […]