CSI & NLMK Fight to be Recognized as American Steel Producers

The “Buy America” plan for federally subsidized projects is problematic for two major U.S. steel mills owned by foreign companies. The push to use American sourced steel products in infrastructure projects is keeping NLMK USA and California Steel Industries (CSI) out of the running for bids on projects—a problem the companies are hoping to rectify by changes to provisions in key federal programs.

Although mills operated by Russian-owned NLMK USA are located in Pennsylvania and Indiana and operated by US steelworkers, the steel products produced there are considered foreign made. The same with California based CSI which is jointly owned by Brazilian mining company Vale and JFE Steel Corp. of Japan.