Steel

• US raw steel production declines slightly May 14, 2013

  U.S. raw steel output totaled an estimated 1,881,000 net tons last week, down 0.2 percent from 1,884,000 tons the previous week, as mills operated at an average capability utilization rate of 78.5 percent.

• Outokumpu may divest VDM unit May 14, 2013

  Stainless steel producer Outokumpu Oyj is considering divesting its VDM alloy business, which it acquired in its merger with ThyssenKrupp AG’s Inoxum Group, in order to improve profitability.

• Cambelle-Inland to advise China Gerui May 13, 2013

  China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Ltd. has retained Craig T. Bouchard’s Cambelle-Inland as an adviser for its strategic planning and expansion in North America and "around the world," the company said May 13.

• Pro-Tec commissions annealing line May 13, 2013

  U.S. Steel Corp. and Kobe Steel Ltd. commissioned the new continuous annealing line at their Pro-Tec Coating Co. joint venture in Leipsic, Ohio, on May 13.

• Skills gap remains top issue for steel: execs May 13, 2013

  Recruiting quality skilled workers remains a challenge for the steel industry, a number of executives said last week at the Association for Iron and Steel Technology’s AISTech 2013 conference in Pittsburgh.

• Nucor lowers SBQ extra for June May 13, 2013

  Nucor Corp. will lower its raw materials surcharge on special bar quality (SBQ) products by $1.10 per hundredweight ($22 per ton) to $10.50 per cwt ($210 per ton) effective with June 1 shipments, the company said in a May 10 letter to customers.

• Midwest steel plate prices soften slightly May 13, 2013

  Steel plate prices have retreated from their 2013 highs in recent days as a combination of lower scrap prices and difficult end-market business has caused some downward pressure, sources said.

• Universal Stainless' Pa. plant Nadcap certified May 13, 2013

  Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc.’s Bridgeville, Pa., facility has achieved National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (Nadcap) heat-treat accreditation.

• US drill rig tally up; Canada off May 13, 2013

  The number of drill rigs running in the United States increased by five last week, led by Texas (up seven), while Canadian drilling activity slipped by three rigs compared with the previous week.

• China launches probe vs. US, Japan high-temp alloy pipe May 13, 2013

  China’s Ministry of Commerce has launched an anti-dumping duty investigation concerning imports of high-temperature alloy steel seamless pipe from the United States, the European Union and Japan.

• Final results issued in review vs. carbon, alloy steel wire rod from Mexico May 13, 2013

  The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued the final results of an anti-dumping duty administrative review on carbon and certain alloy steel wire rod from Mexico from Oct. 1, 2010, to Sept. 30, 2011.

• Ohio Star Forge to break ground on expansion May 13, 2013

  Ohio Star Forge Co. will break ground May 14 on a $20-million expansion project in Champion Township, Ohio.

• West Coast steel plate hikes eroding May 13, 2013

  A brief uptick in commodity-grade carbon steel plate prices on the West Coast appears to be coming to an end as $60-per-ton domestic hikes announced in the first quarter are eroding, market sources said.

• Los Angeles-area port costs climbing May 13, 2013

  Los Angeles-area ports, which already have the reputation of being among the most expensive U.S. arrival points for imported steel, are due to get a lot more costly, according to local shipping industry executives.

• Patriot Coal's 1st-qtr. net loss widens to $115.9M May 13, 2013

  Bankrupt coal miner Patriot Coal Corp. reported a wider net loss for the first quarter.

• Usiminas out of spot market for flat exports May 13, 2013

  Brazilian flat steel producer Usinas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais SA (Usiminas) has been sitting out of the spot export market for the last few months due to low prices, according to a senior executive.

• Allied Tube labor talks continue May 13, 2013

  Allied Tube & Conduit Corp. continues to negotiate a new labor contract with unionized workers at its Harvey, Ill., facility.

• ArcelorMittal Mines Canada iron ore ramp-up on track May 13, 2013

  A production ramp-up at ArcelorMittal Mines Canada remains on track, ArcelorMittal SA chairman and chief executive officer Lakshmi Mittal said in a statement released with first-quarter results May 10.

• No impact yet from USS lockout: Dofasco May 10, 2013

  Flat-rolled steel producer ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. says it has yet to be affected by a union lockout at nearby U.S. Steel Corp.’s Lake Erie Works.

• Accident at Southland Tube kills one worker, injures two others May 10, 2013

  One worker was killed and two others injured in a May 9 accident at Southland Tube Inc.’s Birmingham, Ala., facility.

• Nucor shareholders nix push by fund for full disclosure May 10, 2013

  A majority of Nucor Corp. shareholders defeated a proposal by a Boston-based family of mutual funds to have the steelmaker provide more transparency into its lobbying efforts.

• ArcelorMittal’s losses narrow in 1st qtr. May 10, 2013

  ArcelorMittal SA recorded its third consecutive net loss in the first quarter on the back of challenging economic conditions but anticipates positive signs in the second half of the year, particularly in its Americas division.

• Steel sheet spot prices down again May 10, 2013

  Steel sheet prices softened this past week as market participants continued to cite overcapacity and too many players chasing too little business as top concerns.

• Alton Steel union OKs 2-year labor extension May 10, 2013

  Members of United Steelworkers union Local 3643 ratified a two-year contract extension May 5 with Alton Steel Co., which local president Terry Wooden called a win-win for both sides.