Steel

• Timken mulls expansion to serve transplants Dec 18, 2006

  Timken Co., Canton, Ohio, is considering expanding its offerings to better serve transplant automakers.

• Steel shipments slip 5.2% in Oct. Dec 18, 2006

  U.S. steel mills shipped 8,725,000 net tons in October, down 5.2 percent from 9,199,000 tons the previous month and 1.3 percent behind the 8,839,000 tons shipped in October 2005, according to the latest data from the American Iron and Steel Institute.

• Merchant bar prices hold in January Dec 18, 2006

  Prices for merchant bar and rebar appear to be holding steady in January, with Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., making a sideways move on tags.

• Imsa commissions multiblanking line from Herr-Voss Dec 18, 2006

  Industrias Monterrey SA de CV (Imsa), Monterrey, Mexico, recently purchased a multi-blanking line from Herr-Voss Stamco, Callery, Pa., for the expansion of capacity at its service centers.

• TK to modernize Beeckerwerth mill Dec 18, 2006

  ThyssenKrupp AG, Dusseldorf, Germany, recently awarded a contract for modernization of its Beeckerwerth hot strip mill to SMS Demag AG, Dusseldorf.

• U.S. Steel withdraws Pacific Exchange listing Dec 18, 2006

  U.S. Steel Corp., Pittsburgh, has announced plans to withdraw the listing of its common stock from NYSE Arca Inc., formerly the Pacific Exchange.

• Terra Nostra’s new stainless mill now operating according to plan Dec 18, 2006

  Production trials at a stainless steel strip rolling mill and an expanded casting mill at Shandong Quanxin Stainless Steel Co. Ltd. in China have been completed successfully, according to Terra Nostra Resources Corp., Los Angeles, which owns 51 percent of the joint venture.

• Severstal said to be investor in coke facility Dec 15, 2006

  Russian steelmaker OAO Severstal has been identified as one of the investors in a proposed coke plant to be constructed in Toledo, Ohio.

• Tinplate pricing on rise, but how high is up in air Dec 15, 2006

  U.S. prices for tinplate are set to rise after the first of the year, but a change in pricing policy by major producers leaves many customers questioning how sharp the increases will be.

• Quanex’s Atmosphere buy adds niche to its heat-treat business Dec 15, 2006

  Quanex Corp.’s acquisition of metal heat-treater Atmosphere Annealing Inc. will serve as a gateway into a niche part of the heat-treating business, a company spokesman said.

• CSN officially cans deal with W-P Dec 15, 2006

  What has been known for weeks is now official Cia. Siderurgica Nacional (CSN), Sao Paulo, Brazil, has terminated its tie-up agreement with Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp., Wheeling, W.Va.

• New IAM officials to keep AK talks on course Dec 15, 2006

  Newly elected officials of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1943 are not expected to significantly change the direction of contract talks with AK Steel Corp., Middletown, Ohio.

• China’s steel tags rise amid supply squeeze Dec 15, 2006

  China’s domestic steel prices crept higher last week as transportation problems caused a supply squeeze in the southern and eastern parts of the country.

• US steel shipments down in October Dec 15, 2006

  U.S. steel mills shipped 8,725,000 net tons in October, a 1.3-percent decrease from the 8,839,000 tons shipped in October 2005 and a 5.1-percent decrease from the 9,199,000 tons shipped in September, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

• Navistar tallies $185M rise in metals costs; faces delisting Dec 15, 2006

  Truck and engine manufacturer Navistar International Corp., Warrenville, Ill., said its steel and precious metals costs had increased $185 million for the year-to-date through Oct. 31, while warning that the company would face delisting by the New York Stock Exchange after missing deadlines for financial reporting.

• Severstal identified as investor in Toledo coke plant Dec 15, 2006

  Russian steelmaker OAO Severstal has been identified as one of the investors in a proposed coke plant to be constructed in Toledo, Ohio.

• Quanex’s Atmosphere purchase adds niche to its heat-treat business Dec 15, 2006

  Quanex Corp.’s acquisition of metal heat-treater Atmosphere Annealing Inc. will serve as a gateway into a niche part of the heat-treating business, a company spokesman said.

• Tinplate pricing on rise, but how high is up in air Dec 15, 2006

  U.S. prices for tinplate are set to rise after the first of the year, but a change in pricing policy by major producers leaves many questioning how sharp the increases will be.

• Magna wins truck business at expense of Dana Dec 15, 2006

  Ford Motor Co. sources have confirmed that Magna International Inc., Aurora, Ontario, has won an order to be a second source of frames for the company’s next generation of F-150 pickup trucks, taking business from struggling Dana Corp., Toledo, Ohio.

• Mittal Steel USA confirms furnace breakout at Burns Harbor plant Dec 15, 2006

  Blast furnace problems at the Burns Harbor, Ind., plant of Mittal Steel USA Inc., Chicago, are continuing, with a plan to take down a furnace for maintenance ultimately resulting in the need for more work.

• New IAM officers to keep AK talks on course Dec 15, 2006

  Newly elected officers of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1943 are not expected to significantly change the direction of contract talks with AK Steel Corp., Middletown, Ohio, which is a good thing according to the president of the local.

• Cotton & Western in partnership to rebuild Liberia mining project Dec 15, 2006

  A Texas company is looking to Africa as a new market for its iron ore mining services.

• CSN terminates merger agreement with W-P Dec 15, 2006

  What has been known for weeks now is official. Cia. Siderurgica Nacional, Sao Paulo, Brazil, has terminated its merger agreement with Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp., Wheeling, W.Va.

• Timken mulls expansion to serve transplant automakers [UPDATE] Dec 15, 2006

  Timken Co., Canton, Ohio, is considering expanding its offerings to better serve the transplant automaker market.