Steel

• ITC sets vote on Japanese nickel-plated steel May 01, 2013

  The U.S. International Trade Commission will vote May 10 in a preliminary determination on imports of diffusion-annealed, nickel-plated flat-rolled steel products from Japan.

• ITA again amends review results vs. Indian flat-rolled steel May 01, 2013

  The U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a second set of amended final results in the countervailing duty administrative review of hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from India.

• Gerdau lowers rebar base prices $20/ton May 01, 2013

  Gerdau Long Steel North America has lowered its base price on concrete reinforcing bar (rebar) by $20 per ton ($1 per hundredweight) effective for all shipments beginning May 1, the company announced in a letter to customers.

• Universal 1st-qtr. earnings, sales drop sharply May 01, 2013

  Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. saw sales drop sharply in the first quarter as customers continued to manage inventory levels and purchase material on a "hand-to-mouth" basis.

• USS, Republic mull DRI joint venture in Ohio May 01, 2013

  U.S. Steel Corp. is considering a direct-reduced iron (DRI) venture with Republic Steel in Lorain, Ohio, it said.

• Longhi to head USS cost-saving initiatives May 01, 2013

  U.S. Steel Corp. is stepping up its efforts to reduce costs in a number of key areas, including raw materials, logistics, and repair and maintenance, in what it has characterized as a tough market environment.

• State-owned enterprises muddle TPP talks May 01, 2013

  Discussions on how to manage state-owned enterprises (SOEs) may come under increased scrutiny in future negotiations over what could be one of the largest trade agreements to date—the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

• US economy faces hurdles but upside ahead: Morici May 01, 2013

  The U.S. economy continues to face a number of major obstacles, from regulatory overreach to a swelling trade deficit with China, but there also exist numerous "reasons for optimism," according to Peter Morici, a professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

• North American Stainless trims fuel surcharge May 01, 2013

  North American Stainless Inc. (NAS) has reduced its fuel surcharge for stainless flat and long products to 34 percent effective with May 1 shipments.

• ArcelorMittal optimistic for US operations in 1st-half ’13 May 01, 2013

  ArcelorMittal SA expects limited inventory restocking to benefit its U.S. operations in the first half of 2013 following rising demand coupled with inventory cuts in the fourth quarter of 2012.

• Ternium drops out of running for TK slab mill May 01, 2013

  Latin American steelmaker Ternium SA has ruled itself out as a possible bidder for ThyssenKrupp AG’s 73.13-percent stake in the 5-million-tonne-per-year Cia. Siderúrgica do Atlântico (CSA) slab plant in Brazil.

• Steelmaker Ahmsa’s first-quarter sales fall 4.8% year on year May 01, 2013

  Mexican steelmaker Altos Hornos de México SAB de CV (Ahmsa) saw revenues fall by 4.8 percent year over year in the first quarter of 2013.

• Commerce reviewing duties vs. steel wire rod, pipe, silicon metal May 01, 2013

  The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) is conducting various five-year reviews of anti-dumping duty orders.

• USS considers DRI joint venture with Republic Apr 30, 2013

  U.S. Steel Corp. is considering a direct-reduced iron (DRI) joint venture with Republic Steel in Lorain, Ohio, chairman and chief executive officer John P. Surma said during the company’s first-quarter conference call April 30.

• Artco Group consolidates to cater to energy market Apr 30, 2013

  Artco Group International Inc. has merged its Artco Steel and Houston Blow Pipe operations, assembling a unified sales team catering to customers of both entities and offering a broader spectrum of product and service offerings, president and chief executive officer Jeffrey Himmel told AMM.

• Banker Steel expansion set for production Apr 30, 2013

  Structural steel fabricator Banker Steel Co. will begin producing remotely constructed building modules at its 50,000-square-foot expansion in Lynchburg, Va., next week as the company sets its sights on a growing market.

• National Tube breaks ground on Texas site Apr 30, 2013

  National Tube Supply Co. has broken ground on a new site in Baytown, Texas, that is targeted for completion by year-end.

• TMK Ipsco shipments fall in first quarter Apr 30, 2013

  TMK Ipsco logged weaker shipments during the first quarter compared with the same period a year earlier due to a declining rig count and high customer inventories, parent company OAO TMK said.

• Prolamsa picks Texas for tubulars mill Apr 30, 2013

  Prolamsa Group will build a 300,000-ton-per-year welded energy tubulars mill in Bryan, Texas.

• Southwestern buys shale assets Apr 30, 2013

  Southwestern Energy Co. has bought natural gas properties in Pennsylvania from Chesapeake Energy Corp. for $93 million, the company said.

• Tru-Markets sells BP surplus OCTG Apr 30, 2013

  Online marketplace Tru-Markets LLC is selling more than 450,000 feet of surplus corrosion-resistant alloy and carbon oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from London-based energy firm BP Plc, the company said April 30.

• Steelmakers receive SMA awards for safety, innovation Apr 30, 2013

  The Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) has honored Gallatin Steel Co., Gulf States Manufacturers LLC, Nucor Corp., Steel Dynamics Inc. and Steel of West Virginia Inc. for their achievements in social responsibility and innovation.

• U.S. Steel posts $73M loss in 1st quarter Apr 30, 2013

  U.S. Steel Corp. posted a $73-million net loss in the first quarter as improved results by its tubular and European segments were offset by a weaker performance in the company’s flat-rolled segment.

• NSSMC trading wings to merge Apr 30, 2013

  Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp.’s two trading wings, Nippon Steel Trading Co. and Sumikin Bussan Corp., are set to merge Oct. 1.