Republic Steel Announces Plan to Restart the Idled Lorain Mill Facility

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The domestic steel industry in the US has responded quickly and positively to the recent announcement by President Trump to impose 25% tariffs on steel products imported into the country. Consequent to President’s announcement, Canton, Ohio-headquartered Republic Steel has announced plans to reopen the idled furnace operations at its Lorain facility. The company had indefinitely idled the Lorain plant in March 2016, following unfavorable market conditions.

The company press release stated that the company is now positioned to restart its Lorain facility, including the electric arc furnace, casters and rolling mills. The decision is to make the company ready to respond to anticipated demand growth for domestic steel products, on account of higher import tariffs.

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The decision is expected to bring back nearly 1,000 workers back to the Lorain facility. The company will soon get in touch with the United Steelworkers 1104 to recall workers. Senior staff and maintenance workers are expected to get a call first, followed by others. The complete restart may take a few months. Meantime, USW officials said that no details regarding how many workers will be called back has been received so far.

Jaime Vigil, President & CEO, Republic Steel stated that the facility was idled with a promise to restart upon improved market conditions and that time has finally come. The company, being the leading supplier of special bar quality (SBQ) steel in North America, is prepared to support market demand that has been previously met by imported products, Vigil added.

Recently, Pittsburgh-based United States Steel Corporation (US Steel) had announced its decision to restart one of the two idled blast furnaces at its Granite City Steel Complex, on hopes of surge in demand for domestic steel. The restart is expected to result in return of nearly 500 workers back to work.