Steel

• After all these years, SDI is facing a new dynamic in labor relations - the USW Oct 21, 2005

  The pending acquisition of Roanoke Electric Steel Corp. will open new product and regional markets for Steel Dynamics Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind., but it also will open a new chapter in labor relations for SDI.

• SDI's mad dash into alternative iron is proving a major marathon Oct 21, 2005

  Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI), Fort Wayne, Ind., continues to make headway in its attempts to secure alternative iron products, although company executives admit that progress has been slower than desired and marked with considerable hurdles.

• Gallatin's Daily elected SMA chairman Oct 21, 2005

  The board of the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), Washington, announced the election of Don Daily to a two-year term as its chairman beginning in 2006.

• Defeat puts US trade law on global plate Oct 21, 2005

  U.S. trade laws will stay on the table in World Trade Organization (WTO) talks after the Senate defeated legislation to prohibit using the statues as bargaining chips in international negotiations, steel distributors were told at an industry meeting last week.

• Nucor's net off in qtr., up in 1st 9 months Oct 20, 2005

  Energy and raw materials costs dragged Nucor Corp.'s third-quarter profit down 29.7 percent to $291.9 million while lower realized prices helped slice its sales to $3.03 billion, down 6.6 percent from the year-earlier quarter.

• Aerospace, tool steel demand lift Universal Stainless' 3d-qtr. profits Oct 20, 2005

  Strong demand from the aerospace, power generation, petrochemical and tool steel markets helped Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc., Bridgeville, Pa., post a 19.8-percent increase in net income during the third quarter compared with the like quarter last year.

• Katrina, energy costs slam SDI's earnings in third quarter Oct 20, 2005

  Steel Dynamics Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind., called its third-quarter results "solid" despite what amounted to a 60-percent decline in net income compared with the record results logged for the comparable period last year.

• Ukraine mill privatization hits another bump Oct 19, 2005

  The privatization of Ukraine steelmaker JSC Kryviy Rih Mining & Smelting Plant (Kryvorizhstal) has hit another bump on an already rocky road.

• Nippon sticking to guns on cuts Oct 19, 2005

  Nippon Steel Corp., Tokyo, will stick with plans to reduce output by 500,000 tonnes during the next six months, but refuses to deny a Japanese media report that it could be expanded by another 300,000 tonnes.

• World crude steel output up 3.5% despite Western bid to stem flow Oct 19, 2005

  Production cuts by Western steelmakers haven't halted world steel growth, with global crude output climbing 3.5 percent in September compared with the same month last year, according to the latest data from the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI).

• Carpenter unit adds energy to mix Oct 19, 2005

  Carpenter Powder Products Inc. (CPP), Bridgeville, Pa., is adding an energy component to its surcharge calculation for all tool and high-speed steel products, the company said Tuesday.

• EPA sets meeting on superfund site study Oct 19, 2005

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting Monday to discuss a pollution study of the Armco/Hamilton Superfund site in New Miami, Ohio. The EPA will oversee a study by AK Steel Corp., Middletown, Ohio, which now owns the site.

• Japanese crude steel output inches up 0.7% Oct 19, 2005

  Japan's crude steel production totaled 84.6 million tonnes in the first nine months of this year, up 0.7 percent from the same period in 2004, according to figures from the Japan Iron and Steel Federation.

• US seeks WTO talks on imports of Chinese circular welded pipe Oct 19, 2005

  The United States has requested formal World Trade Organization (WTO) talks with China, which it accuses of disrupting U.S. markets with shipments of certain circular welded non-alloy steel pipe.

• US raw steel production tops 2 million tons Oct 18, 2005

  Raw steel output in the United States totaled 2,008,000 tons last week, a 0.7-percent increase from 1,995,000 tons produced the previous week, as mills operated at an average capability utilization rate of 86.9 percent.

• Marmon/Keystone, USW reach labor contract Oct 18, 2005

  Marmon/Keystone Corp. has reached an agreement on a new three-year labor contract with United Steelworkers union Local 8042-02 in Butler, Pa.

• CSI slides into red in third quarter as shipments, selling prices drop Oct 18, 2005

  A nearly 18-percent drop in shipments, lower average sales prices and higher slab consumption costs combined with a jump in energy costs to yield a third-quarter net loss for California Steel Industries Inc. (CSI).

• WCI awaiting court nod on mailing to creditors Oct 18, 2005

  The judge handling WCI Steel Inc.'s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case is expected to approve this week disclosure statements to be mailed to creditors that could set the stage for a reorganization of the steelmaker.

• AK ups flat roll, adds energy to mix Oct 18, 2005

  AK Steel Corp., Middletown, Ohio, plans to increase surcharges on flat-rolled and electrical steel products in November and also will add an energy surcharge to its stainless steel products.

• Brazilian slab project USC inks gas supply deal with Petrobras Oct 18, 2005

  Representatives of new Brazilian slab-for-export project Usina Siderúrgica do Ceará (USC) signed a contract Monday with state oil and gas company Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras), Rio de Janeiro, for the supply of natural gas to the steelmaker.

• US, Canada post drilling gains Oct 18, 2005

  The number of drill rigs running in the United States rose by one last week, while Canadian drilling activity jumped by 57 rigs.

• Concast wins pact to upgrade Canadian caster Oct 17, 2005

  Concast AG, Zurich, and subsidiary Concast America Inc., Pittsburgh, have been awarded a contract by Gerdau Ameristeel Corp., Tampa, Fla., to modernize the steelmaker's five-strand, 26-foot billet caster at its Whitby, Ontario, steel operations.

• Sale of ex-LTV ore processing site gets TSX nod Oct 17, 2005

  The TSX Venture Exchange has approved the sale of a former LTV Steel Mining Co. ore processing plant to PolyMet Mining Corp., Vancouver, British Columbia.

• Steel Technologies lays foundation for third Mexican processing plant Oct 17, 2005

  Steel Technologies Inc. plans to build its third processing plant in Mexico.