"After several months of carefully analyzing customer demand, we made the decision to restart a blast furnace," U.S. Steel president and chief executive officer David B. Burritt said in a statement. “Steel remains a highly competitive and highly cyclical industry, but we are confident in our ability to safely and profitably operate the mill to meet 2026 demand."

The company said it will reactivate Granite City’s B furnace, which has been idled since 2023.