AK Steel announced it is temporarily idling its Mansfield, Ohio, operations and most of its Ashland, Ky., operations due to low demand for some of the company’s products. According to AK Steel, both facilities will remain idled until early to mid-January. Steel production and shipping has ceased at the Mansfield Works, which produces stainless flat-rolled steels. Blast furnace, steelmaking, casting and coating operations will be idled later this month at the Ashland Works, which produces carbon flat-rolled steel. The Ashland Works’ coke plant will continue to operate at a reduced level, and its blast furnace will be maintained in hot-idle status.
U.S. Steel announced it will lay off 500 steelworkers in the United States because of a drop in demand. The layoffs will affect production workers at U.S. Steel plants in Indiana, southwestern Pennsylvania (two facilities), Alabama, Michigan (two plants) and Illinois. The company will also lay off 167 workers in Ontario. According to U.S. Steel, the layoffs will continue indefinitely until demand returns.