Nucor to Build New Florida Steel Mill as Domestic Producers Study Tariff Impact
March 12 2018 - 11:16AM
Dow Jones News
By Cara Lombardo
Nucor Corp. said Monday it will build a $240 million rebar mill
in Florida, the latest investment from the steelmaker in a bid to
capitalize on a rising market for the metal.
Chief Executive John Ferriola said the planned mill would build
reinforcing steel bars, or rebar, and will give the company an
advantage over competitors who ship rebar from long distances.
Nucor, which last year announced plans to build a new
rebar-producing mill in Missouri, didn't explicitly tie the mill in
Florida to the recent implementation of tariffs on imported steel
and aluminum from countries excluding Canada and Mexico. The
company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
But on Thursday Mr. Ferriola thanked President Donald Trump in
prepared remarks for addressing the "flood" of steel imports.
"For too many years, Nucor and other American steelmakers have
dealt with this chronic problem, which is fueled by foreign
governments' subsidies and preferential treatment for their steel
industries in violation of international trade agreements and free
market principles," Mr. Ferriola said.
Last week, United States Steel Corp. said it would fire up a
blast furnace in Granite City, Ill., and call back 500 workers.
Century Aluminum Co. said before that it will restart lines at a
smelter in Kentucky that have been curtailed since 2015, doubling
its workforce there to 600.
The mill will have an estimated annual capacity of 350,000 tons
and construction is expected to take two years, pending permit and
regulatory approvals.
While residents in these communities and employees celebrate,
critics of the tariffs said they would harm American industries
that rely on metal supplies, such as manufacturers and food and
beverage companies that use aluminum cans.
Nucor expects the Florida mill to employ 250 people and pay an
average salary of $66,000.
Nucor shares, up 11% over the past year, rose 0.3% in Monday
trading.
Write to Cara Lombardo at cara.lombardo@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 12, 2018 11:01 ET (15:01 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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