An analysis from the Wood Mackenzie copper team.

“Unstable,” “unpredictable,” and “slow” are words that both steel producers and steel-using manufacturers (steel “consumers”) are using to describe steel market conditions heading into 2020.

U.S. mills produced an estimated 1,923k tons at an 82.5 percent utilization rate, according to Majestic Steel. This is up from 1,898k tons and an 82.0 percent rate previously.

U. S. Steel earns 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s annual scorecard addressing LGBTQ workplace equality.

The company finished the year with an OSHA “Days Away” rate of 0.10, which is seven times better that the industry average reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Weeks have passed since President Trump's initial threat to impose steel tariffs on steel from Argentina and Brazil. It seems he has backed down from the threat. 

Meantime, global steel production declined for the third consecutive month on a year-over-year basis.

According to the Associated Press, 1,545 jobs will be cut at Great Lakes Works as the U.S. Steel Corporation plans to idle work at the plants.

“AK Steel is pleased and honored to be named to Newsweek’s 2020 list of America’s Most Responsible Companies,” says AK Steel Chief Executive Officer Roger Newport.  

On Monday, President Trump announced plans to restore tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from Brazil and Argentina. The announcement caught everyone by surprise raises many questions.