Tag: Rail

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, SMU polled steel buyers on a variety of subjects, including steel prices, demand levels, sheet prices abroad, inventory, and what people are talking about in the market.

Cleveland-Cliffs swung to a profit in the second quarter after losing money in the first.

Cleveland-Cliffs swung to a profit in the second quarter after losing money in the first. The Cleveland-based steelmaker and iron ore miner predicted that the good times would continue to roll into the second half on what is said was continued strength in automotive demand. “While the performance of our automotive clients continues to improve, […]

We are counting down the days until SMU’s Steel Summit Conference on Monday-Wednesday, Aug. 21-23, in Atlanta. It’s only a little over two months away. Approximately 755 people have already registered. Our discounted room blocks are almost gone. Register here. The event will again be held at the Georgia International Convention Center, a massive conference center in close […]

The forest fires raging in Canada caused rail interruptions for Champion Iron last week. With the fires now subsiding in the area, the company reports a resumption in rail services between its Bloom Lake mine and the port of Sept-Îles on the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec. Mining activities continued at Bloom Lake while […]

The Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) is starting to idle its mine, concentrator and pellet plant near Labrador City because of the impact of wildfires in Quebec province.   The actions follow the Rio Tinto-owned company suspending transport on its 418km Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway (QNS & L) linking the mine to […]

First, the important stuff: May the fourth be with you! Second, steel market participants tell us that several domestic mills have become significantly more aggressive on prices of late. I’m not sure of a Star Wars analogy for that. Prices being slashed with light sabers? I’m open to suggestions. Let’s say it takes tens of […]

The US economy might be at the beginning of what looks to be a challenging second half, according to Reibus International CEO and founder John Armstrong. He sat down with SMU managing editor Michael Cowden for a Community Chat to discuss the economic outlook, its impact on Reibus, and the company’s long-term goals around digitizing how steel is […]

ArcelorMittal is anticipating delays in shipments after recent incidents took down two of its European blast furnaces (BFs).  On March 22, a serious fire totally disabled BF A at its mill in Gijón, Asturias, in northeast Spain. Then, on March 30, BF HF4 at its Dunkirk plant in northern France was idled after a similar […]

A coalition of trade groups is urging President Joe Biden to help with the ongoing West Coast port labor negotiations. Negotiations for a long-term labor agreement between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have been ongoing for more than 10 months […]

The US Surface Transportation Board (STB) has approved the merger of the Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) railways, subject to certain conditions. When completed, the two railways would combine to form Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), the first single-line railway that connects the US, Mexico, and Canada.  “The decision authorizes CP to […]

On the morning of Feb. 24, the White House issued a proclamation to adjust aluminum imports and taking further action under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Following the guidance of the Secretary of Commerce, the president issued an order adding a 200% duty to Russian metal coming into the US. Imported […]

Nucor Corp. has increased its cost estimate for its new sheet steel mill in West Virginia by ~$400 million. The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker said Feb. 23 that its board approved additional capital for the project. The company now expects a net cash outlay of ~$3.1 billion for the West Virginia electric-arc furnace (EAF) sheet mill, up from $2.7 billion when […]

The cost and scope of Steel Dynamics Inc.’s flat-rolled aluminum mill in Columbus, Miss., and related scrap processing operations, have increased. The total cost of the project is now expected to be $2.5 billion, up from an initial $2.2 billion, SDI chairman, president, and CEO Mark Millett said during the quarterly earnings call last week. […]

We’re less than two weeks away from the Tampa Steel Conference. It’s not too late to register, but you should do it ASAP. The event will be at the Tampa Marriott Water Street hotel on Sunday-Tuesday Feb. 5-7. Approximately 445 people have already registered, which is more than total attendance last year. New companies are being added […]

We’re less than two weeks away from the Tampa Steel Conference. It’s not too late to register, but you should do it ASAP. The event will be at the Tampa Marriott Water Street hotel on Sunday-Tuesday Feb. 5-7. Approximately 430 people have already registered, which is more than total attendace last year. We expect that number to […]

Moving goods from one location to another may seem simple enough. But as we’ve seen in the past few years, it’s not always that easy. Fortunately, there are experts like Anton Posner, CEO of The Mercury Group, who take on the chaos of transportation. The Mercury Group is a consulting firm that specializes in global […]

Evraz North America (NA) is transitioning to a new general contractor for its rail mill under construction in Pueblo, Colo. “Construction will continue with a new general contractor in place to ensure the overall safety, quality, and timeliness of the project,” Evraz NA SVP David Ferryman said in a statement. “The work is not going […]

We’re nearing the end of 2022, which means it’s time to register for the Tampa Steel Conference as you make your travel plans for 2023. The event will be at the Tampa Marriott Water Street hotel again this year. Mark your calendar for Sunday-Tuesday Feb. 5-7. Nearly 200 of you have registered already. We’re on track […]

We’re nearing the end of 2022, which means it’s time to register for the Tampa Steel Conference as you make your travel plans for 2023. The event will be at the Tampa Marriott Water Street hotel again this year. Mark your calendar for Sunday-Tuesday Feb. 5-7. Nearly 200 of you have registered already. We’re on track […]

Producer prices grew more than expected in November, thwarting hopes that inflation could be easing, the US Labor Department reported. Last month’s Producer Price Index (PPI), a measure of the prices received for final-demand products, advanced 0.3% month-on-month (MoM) and 7.4% from a year ago, the smallest annual gain since May 2021, according to data […]

President Joseph Biden on Friday Dec. 2 signed into law a bill aimed at averting a nationwide rail strike. The law compels railroad unions to accept a tentative agreement reached in September. The unions opposed the agreement because it did not provide paid sick days. Railroad companies and the unions faced a Dec. 9 deadline to reach a […]

Legislation is pending in our nation’s capital that would force railroad unions to accept the national labor agreement proposed in September in order to avoid a labor strike. After being urged by President Joe Biden on Nov. 28 to enact the legislation, the bill was passed in the House of Representatives today, Nov. 30. It will now go […]

The White House released a statement on Nov. 28 requesting Congress to pass immediate legislation that would adopt the tentative agreement between railroad workers and operators. As concerns of a rail strike grow, an agreement could deter members from striking. “This agreement was approved by labor and management negotiators in September. On the day that […]

The potential for a rail strike still remains after the results of union votes were announced on Nov. 21. While members of the SMART yardmasters and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) voted to accept their proposed labor deals, members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers – Transportation […]

As steel volumes continue to grow, the Port of Hamilton, Ontario, is receiving funding from the Canadian government to increase its steel handling productivity. Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund is providing CAD $4.9 million (US $3.65 million) in funding to relieve supply chain congestion at the port. The waterway is a critical piece of infrastructure […]

Producer prices came in below expectations in October, adding to hopes that inflationary pressures are beginning to ease, the US Labor Department reported. Last month’s Producer Price Index (PPI), a measure of the prices received for final-demand products, advanced just 0.2% month-on-month (MoM) and 8% from a year ago, the smallest annual gain in more […]

The Tampa Steel Conference – which SMU does every February together with the Port of Tampa Bay – offers the tantalizing prospect for those of us in the Midwest of getting out of the cold to network outdoors in Florida. We’ll again hold the conference at the Tampa Marriot Water Street hotel. We’ve got a solid agenda […]

Drought-stricken rivers have affected areas across the United States, leaving some concerned about the impact that persistent dry skies might have. The steel industry relies heavily upon the ability to ship material up and down the Mississippi River, as shipping high volumes of goods via barge is substantially cheaper than truck or rail. However, if […]

The potential for a rail strike in the US has been pushed back to early December. But concerns remain for the steel industry, which relies heavily on rail transportation. After rejecting a proposed national labor contract in October and reigniting the possibility of a rail strike, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) Division […]