Steel

• Ohio approves $1M to clean defunct RG site Mar 27, 2013

  Ohio’s budgetary oversight board has approved the release of $1 million from the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund to remediate the now-shuttered RG Steel LLC plant in Steubenville, Ohio.

• Steel beam imports likely to remain strong Mar 27, 2013

  Steel beam imports appear likely to stay relatively strong in March as permit applications, even before the month is over, point to a rise in total arrivals of at least 16 percent over February, with a jump in standard beams offsetting a possible decline in wide-flange products.

• ArcelorMittal’s request for rehearing denied Mar 27, 2013

  ArcelorMittal SA’s petition for a rehearing on a patent infringement lawsuit has been denied by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

• Rebar imports drop in Feb. but slated to rise Mar 27, 2013

  Steel reinforcing bar imports look set to rebound in March after logging a sharp drop-off in February, according to preliminary data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Supply-demand divide weighs down steel sheet Mar 27, 2013

  Participants in the domestic and imported steel sheet markets are hoping that the second quarter will fare better than the first, but most agree that prices are unlikely to gain much upward momentum unless capacity is taken offline.

• Arkansas county OKs $14.5M Big River grant Mar 27, 2013

  Mississippi County Quorum Court in Arkansas has unanimously approved a conditional $14.5-million grant for Big River Steel LLC’s proposed flat-rolled steel project, according to a court spokesman.

• Tangshan Steel takes 10% stake in Duferco Trading Mar 27, 2013

  Chinese steel producer Tangshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. has agreed to buy a 10-percent stake in Duferco International Trading Holding SA, a spokeswoman for the trader confirmed March 27.

• Manufacturers reiterate LNG warning after Cheniere deal Mar 27, 2013

  A nonprofit group that includes major U.S. steel and metal producers has reiterated its warning that further exports of natural gas should be monitored carefully in light of a deal between Houston-based Cheniere Energy Partners LP and British firm Centrica Plc.

• February metal orders, shipments dip Mar 27, 2013

  Shipments and new orders of primary and fabricated metals fell in February, which had two fewer days of operation than January, while inventories inched slightly higher.

• China’s Sinoma abandons steel trading business Mar 27, 2013

  Sinoma International Engineering, part of the China National Materials Group, has exited the steel trading business because of excessive risk and losses incurred last year.

• Chinese steel plate export market weakens Mar 27, 2013

  China’s steel plate export prices fell this week due to slow business and a weak domestic market.

• Steel executives settle insider trading case Mar 27, 2013

  Four steel company executives and two others have agreed to pay nearly $640,000 to settle insider trading allegations, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said.

• US can absorb Correnti’s output—for now: IHS Mar 26, 2013

  The U.S. steel market could likely absorb the added capacity of John D. Correnti’s proposed steel project, a group of industry analysts said, but the domestic sector could see its margins disappear if joined by other new projects.

• Pipe demand flat despite price gains Mar 26, 2013

  Some pipe and tube prices registered an uptick in March due to increasing raw material costs, although demand has yet to improve, market sources told AMM.

• Steel imports sag to 14-month low in Feb. Mar 26, 2013

  Steel arrivals at U.S. ports fell to a more than one-year low in February amid major declines in pipe and tube, as well as hot-rolled sheet and hot-dipped galvanized sheet and strip.

• U.S. Steel signs deal to stay in Slovakia Mar 26, 2013

  U.S. Steel Corp. and the Slovak government have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) ensuring that the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker will remain the owner of the Košice SRO plant for at least five more years.

• USW local treasurer faces charges of embezzlement Mar 26, 2013

  The treasurer of a United Steelworkers union local has been accused of embezzling union funds.

• EPA forms fracking research panel Mar 26, 2013

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board has formed a research advisory panel to review its 2014 draft report on the possible effects of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," on drinking water.

• Texas toll processor Andes opens Indiana site Mar 26, 2013

  Independent toll processor Andes Coil Processors LLC has opened a new toll-slitting, warehousing and distribution center in Gary, Ind.

• TMK Ipsco opens Edmonton threading and service plant Mar 26, 2013

  TMK Ipsco has opened a new pipe threading and service facility in Edmonton, Alberta, to supply premium connections to Canadian customers.

• Argentine slab imports soar on Siderar furnace stoppage Mar 26, 2013

  Argentina’s slab imports more than doubled last year following a shutdown of the No. 2 blast furnace at Ternium SA subsidiary Siderar SAIC.

• Mexico steel seeks tougher trade rules Mar 26, 2013

  Mexican steel association Canacero has once again called for an update of the country’s trade defense laws to protect investments planned by local steelmakers.

• SOS takes steps to resolve environmental lawsuit: exec Mar 26, 2013

  California structural steel fabricator SOS Steel Co. Inc. is confident it will reach a settlement in a lawsuit filed earlier this month by an San Francisco environmental group, company president Steve Boucher said.

• Cheniere signs LNG export deal with UK’s Centrica Mar 26, 2013

  Cheniere Energy Partners LP has signed a liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply deal with British energy firm Centrica Plc.