http://www.metalcenternews.com RSS feeds for Metal Center News 60 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8963/Manufacturing-Contracts-in-November.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=2524&ModuleID=13831&ArticleID=8963 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8963&PortalID=51&TabID=2524 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8963/Manufacturing-Contracts-in-November.aspx Dec. 12, 2012 Manufacturing Contracts in November The November PMI registered 49.5, representing contraction in the manufacturing sector after two straight months of growth, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business from the Tempe, Ariz.-based Institute for Supply Management. Readings below 50 indicate contraction. The PMI dropped 2.2 percentage points from October's 51.7 percent, the fourth month of contraction in the last six. The November PMI is the lowest reading since July 2009, when the PMI was at 49.2 percent. The New Orders Index dropped to 50.3 percent but still showed growth, while the Production Index increased to 53.7 percent. The Employment Index registered 48.4 percent, a decrease of 3.7 percentage points and the lowest figure since September 2009. According to Bradley J. Holcomb, chairman of ISM's Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, comments from respondents to ISM's survey generally indicated that the second half of the year showed a slowdown in demand. They also "expressed concern over how and when the fiscal cliff issue will be resolved." Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:29:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8963 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8962/Copper-and-Brass-Producers-Protest-Alabama-Subsidy.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=2524&ModuleID=13831&ArticleID=8962 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8962&PortalID=51&TabID=2524 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8962/Copper-and-Brass-Producers-Protest-Alabama-Subsidy.aspx Dec. 12, 2012 Copper and Brass Producers Protest Alabama Subsidy Members of the Washington-based Copper & Brass Fabricators Council have joined with U.S. petitioners in an antidumping case on copper tube from China and Mexico to protest subsidies to be paid by the State of Alabama that would undercut the antidumping orders. The U.S. companies won an antidumping case in 2010, which found that Golden Dragon, a producer of copper tube in China and Mexico, was unfairly pricing their copper tube exports to the United States. The U.S. Department of Commerce levied antidumping duties against Golden Dragon’s imports into the United States. The antidumping duties were designed to offset the unfair trade practices committed by Golden Dragon, which were injuring American producers and workers. In 2012, Golden Dragon announced plans to build a production facility in Thomasville, Ala. Part of the deal was an unprecedented agreement by the State of Alabama to reimburse Golden Dragon for as much as $20 million in antidumping duties paid to the U.S. government. "We have no objection to Golden Dragon's building a new production facility in the United States," says Jack Levy, trade counsel to the petitioning U.S. Copper Tube Coalition, whose members include Mueller Industries, Cerro Flow Products, Wieland Copper Products and CMC Howell. "We have a big problem, however, with the agreement by the State of Alabama to reimburse Golden Dragon for up to $20 million in antidumping duties paid to the U.S. government. The Alabama subsidies would directly undercut an important federal law that Golden Dragon has broken. "Alabama's action is not only bad policy, it is probably unconstitutional. We respectfully urge Alabama to withdraw this unlawful subsidy. If Alabama fails to do so, the federal government should exercise its authority to offset Alabama's subsidy by recollecting from Golden Dragon the full antidumping duties owed by the company to the United States," Levy adds. Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:25:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8962 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8961/NAM-Report-Questions-Cost-of-EPA-Regulations.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=2524&ModuleID=13831&ArticleID=8961 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8961&PortalID=51&TabID=2524 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8961/NAM-Report-Questions-Cost-of-EPA-Regulations.aspx Dec. 12, 2012 NAM Report Questions Cost of EPA Regulations A new study from the National Association of Manufacturers, Washington, D.C., claims six major EPA regulations will cost manufacturers hundreds of billions of dollars and cause the loss of several million jobs. Titled “A Critical Review of the Benefits and Costs of EPA Regulations on the U.S. Economy,” the study also finds these regulations will produce negative net benefits to society. "This study clearly illustrates the layer upon layer of regulations that are weighing down manufacturers' ability to help lead our country's economic recovery," says NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. "If we don’t return to a more sensible regulatory process, then manufacturers will face even higher energy prices, skyrocketing compliance costs, less investment opportunities and significantly fewer jobs. A devastating ripple effect will be felt throughout our entire economy, causing some manufacturers to close their doors for good." The study examines the cumulative economic impact of the EPA's final Utility MACT and Boiler MACT rules, its still-pending Coal Combustion Residuals and Cooling Water Intake Structures regulations, and its expected Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone. According to key findings of the report: • The annual compliance costs for all six regulations range from $36 billion to $111.2 billion (by EPA estimates) and from $63.2 billion to $138.2 billion (by industry estimates). • The total capital expenditures for all six regulations range from $174.6 billion to $539.3 billion (by EPA estimates) and from $404.5 billion to $884.5 billion (by industry estimates). "In the past 30 years, more than 2,000 regulations have been imposed on manufacturers," adds Timmons. "It is already 20 percent more expensive to manufacture in the United States compared to our largest trading partners, and more regulations from Washington are only digging the hole deeper. As policymakers make critical decisions on the fiscal cliff and the challenges facing manufacturers, it's important they understand the enormous impact of existing and pending regulations on manufacturers' ability to grow and create jobs." Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:17:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8961 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8960/US-Steel-Tubular-Enters-JV-in-Texas.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=2524&ModuleID=13831&ArticleID=8960 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8960&PortalID=51&TabID=2524 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8960/US-Steel-Tubular-Enters-JV-in-Texas.aspx Dec. 12, 2012 U.S. Steel Tubular Enters JV in Texas U.S. Steel Tubular Products Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. Steel Corp., and Butch Gilliam Enterprises LLC, Midland, Texas, will form a joint venture to provide tubular services to the energy industry. The joint venture, Patriot Premium Threading Services, has operations in the heart of the Permian Basin in Midland. The new facility will be a comprehensive service provider licensed to thread U.S. Steel tubular products, as well as to provide accessories, repair services, technical assistance and rig site services. The facility's threading capability is 2-3/8 inches to 11-3/4 inches and it will be licensed to thread all of U.S. Steel Tubular Products' premium connections including the recently introduced USS-Liberty FJM premium connection. "We are very excited to join with Butch Gilliam Enterprises to establish a production location in the Permian Basin to better serve our customers in this rapidly growing region," said Douglas R. Matthews, senior vice president of tubular operations for U.S. Steel. "Butch Gilliam's extensive knowledge in this area combined with our capabilities to deliver premium energy tubulars is a great combination to service the growing needs of the energy market and our customers in this area." Day-to-day operations management will be performed by Butch Gilliam, and operations are ramping-up this month. Equity participation will be 50 percent for each partner. Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:15:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8960 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8959/ThyssenKrupp-Stainless-Opens-Melt-Shop-in-Alabama.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=2524&ModuleID=13831&ArticleID=8959 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8959&PortalID=51&TabID=2524 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8959/ThyssenKrupp-Stainless-Opens-Melt-Shop-in-Alabama.aspx Dec. 12, 2012 ThyssenKrupp Stainless Opens Melt Shop in Alabama ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA launched the final production line at its Calvert, Ala., facility. The melt shop is the last in a series of stainless steel manufacturing processes the company has brought online over the past three years to serve its customers in the North American market. The site now manufactures in a process that encompasses the full life cycle of stainless steel—by reclaiming and melting scrap metal into molten material, casting it into slabs, hot rolling it into coils, annealing and pickling the coils, cold rolling the material for strength and thickness, and finishing it according to the specifications of its North American customers. The company launched its production at the Calvert site in September 2009, serving customers by finishing products and working backwards until completing the melt shop. "The full operation of the world's most technologically advanced stainless steel manufacturing facility is what we have all worked toward since we first announced we would make Alabama our home in May 2007," says CEO Michael Wallis. ThyssenKrupp's stainless facility was designed to include the melt shop with one million metric tons of capacity; cold-rolling mill for 54-, 64-, and 74-inch coils; hot-annealing and pickling; cold-annealing and pickling; a skin pass mill; and finishing and polishing equipment. It is located on the same site as the company's carbon mill. Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:13:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8959 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8958/MK-Opens-Mechanical-Tubing-Depot-in-Los-Angeles.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=2524&ModuleID=13831&ArticleID=8958 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8958&PortalID=51&TabID=2524 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8958/MK-Opens-Mechanical-Tubing-Depot-in-Los-Angeles.aspx Dec. 12, 2012 M/K Opens Mechanical Tubing Depot in Los Angeles Marmon/Keystone's Los Angeles branch has begun stocking 100 new sizes of DOM and cold-drawn seamless products at a newly established mechanical tubing depot. "These additional sizes provide a broader range of material that is available for faster delivery to our customers in the region," says Barry Glaser, regional vice president, western region. "The depot was specifically created to meet our customers' growing needs, and it complements our already strong mechanical tubing business." The new depot is located in Pomona, Calif., at Marmon/Keystone's facility serving the Southern California market. Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:07:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8958 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8957/Union-Pact-Clears-Way-for-Esmark-to-Restart-Ohio-Cold-Rolling.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=2524&ModuleID=13831&ArticleID=8957 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8957&PortalID=51&TabID=2524 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8957/Union-Pact-Clears-Way-for-Esmark-to-Restart-Ohio-Cold-Rolling.aspx Dec. 12, 2012 Union Pact Clears Way for Esmark to Restart Ohio Cold Rolling Members of the United Steelworkers have accepted and ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with Esmark covering the company’s newly acquired Ohio Cold Rolling Co. in Yorkville, Ohio. The new deal opens the door to restarting the idled operation. Tom Modrowski, CEO of Esmark Steel Group, says a ratified collective bargaining agreement and expected restart of the Yorkville facility will contribute to Esmark’s long-term strategy to offer its U.S. customers a broader range of steel products and value-added services. "Ohio Cold Rolling Co.'s focus will be on serving the light gauge and narrow width coil niche in the marketplace. Together with our Ohio Coatings Co. subsidiary, we expect to be a premier supplier of both cold-rolled and tin plate products." Esmark acquired the former RG Steel Yorkville cold-rolled finishing mill in a bankruptcy court supervised auction in August, as well as RG Steel’s 50 percent interest in Ohio Coatings Co.’s tin plate production facility. Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:05:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8957 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8956/Its-Not-Too-Late.aspx#Comments 0 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=2524&ModuleID=13831&ArticleID=8956 http://www.metalcenternews.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8956&PortalID=51&TabID=2524 http://www.metalcenternews.com/Editorial/CurrentIssue/CurrentNews/tabid/2524/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8956/Its-Not-Too-Late.aspx Dec. 12, 2012 It's Not Too Late! We still need your help with our Service Center Outlook 2013 Report. It's not too late for you to fill out and return the survey you received with the November issue of MCN. Or simply log on to www.research.net/s/SCO2013 and fill it out online. Please take the time. Your opinion is important. Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:37:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8956