Economy & Markets
The latest on the economy's health and the markets driving the supply and demand of steel.
Latest News
Alacero: Recovering Steel Demand Pushes Production to Pre-Pandemic Levels
19 November 2020 - Latin American steel production returned to pre-pandemic levels in September, lifted by a recovery in steel consuming sectors, reports the Alacero, the Latin America Steel Association.
Stelco Nears Completion of Pig Iron Caster
12 November 2020 - Stelco Inc. expects to commission its new pig iron caster by the end of this year, company executives said Thursday.
EU Steel Industry Faces Major Changes
22 October 2020 - The potential sale of thyssenkrupp’s steel unit is a reflection of the challenges faced by EU steelmakers, and of the industrywide changes that are afoot, reports Deutsche Welle.
SDI Sees Q3 Profit on Recovering Auto Sector
20 October 2020 - A strong demand recovery led Steel Dynamics Inc. to a profitable third quarter, the Indiana-based steelmaker said on Monday.
Nippon Steel Exec Sees EAFs in Its Future
20 October 2020 - Against the backdrop of increasing competition, Nippon Steel Corp. is evaluating the expanded use of electric-arc-furnace-based production, reports the Bloomberg news service.
LIBERTY Steel Looks to Acquire thyssenkrupp
19 October 2020 - LIBERTY Steel Group has put a non-binding offer on the table for thyssenkrupp’s steelmaking unit, saying that the combined companies would be in a better position to face Europe’s steel market challenges.
Forecast: Steel Demand Is Down, But Not as Much as First Feared
15 October 2020 - The World Steel Association has revised up its biannual global demand forecast, saying that a strong recovery in China will soften the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Poland, ArcelorMittal Mothballs Two BFs. In Italy, It May Have a New Partner for Steel Works.
09 October 2020 - ArcelorMittal Poland will permanently close the hot end of its Krakow works, saying that there’s not enough demand, or market protection from unfairly traded imports, to support it, reports Kallanish Commodities.
Nippon Steel Plans BF Restart on Improving Demand
06 October 2020 - Japan’s Nippon Steel Corp. will restart a blast furnace that was idled earlier this year due to pandemic-driven declines in demand, reports commodities news and pricing service Argus.
Rising Steel Capacity Is Cause for Deep Concern, OECD Says
01 October 2020 - Despite the severe drop in steel demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, global steel capacity is rising and could reach 700 million metric tons in excess of production this year, reports the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development steel committee.
ArcelorMittal to Return Brazilian BF to Service
24 September 2020 - Anticipating an economic recovery, ArcelorMittal Brazil plans to restart a blast furnace at its Tubarão facility next month, reports commodities news and pricing service S&P Global Platts.
Rising Demand Prompts JFE Blast Furnace Restart
23 September 2020 - Citing recovering demand, Japan’s JFE Steel has restarted the No. 4 blast furnace at its Fukuyama steel works, reports commodities news and pricing service Argus.
SDI Forecasts Improved Q3 Earnings
23 September 2020 - Steel Dynamics Inc.’s expects to see its third-quarter profits rise on improving market conditions, the company reports.
Non-Residential Construction Likely to Lift Nucor Q3 Profits
17 September 2020 - Nucor Corp. expects its third-quarter profits to notch up on continued resiliency in the non-residential construction market, the steelmaker said in its quarterly earnings forecast on Thursday.
Chinese Steel Production Sets August Record
15 September 2020 - Healthy steel demand lifted China’s August crude steel output to a record 95 million metric tons, reports commodities news and pricing service Argus.
Shifting Lifestyles Should Drive New Demand for Cars, Says AK Steel CEO
27 August 2020 - Automakers are likely to see new consumer demand for vehicles as the coronavirus pandemic has caused permanent lifestyle shifts in the U.S., according to Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. chairman and chief executive Lourenco Goncalves.
ArcelorMittal to Restart Idled Furnace, Announces Layoffs
05 August 2020 - ArcelorMittal is restarting an idled Indiana blast furnace as it repairs another unit damaged in a fire last month, reports The Times newspaper of northwest Indiana.
Improving Demand Prompts Indiana BF Restart
23 July 2020 - United States Steel Corporation plans to restart the No. 8 blast furnace at its Gary Works in Indiana next month, reports The Times newspaper of northwest Indiana.
Steel Dynamics Reports Q2 Profit
22 July 2020 - Despite the economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) finished the second quarter in the black and expects demand to improve in the second half of the year, the steelmaker said Tuesday.
Alacero: Rising Import Levels Cause for Concern
20 July 2020 - Latin American steel demand fell 30% in April as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the region’s economy into a halt, but there is some indication that a recovery has started, according to Alacero, the Latin American Steel Association.