Minnesotans and visitors alike travel to the Duluth-Superior area each year to watch the massive ships leaving the harbor. While people marvel at the ships’ size, the significance of what they’re carrying is pretty awe-inspiring, too. These ships make it possible for iron ore mined in Minnesota to be made into our vehicles, infrastructure, appliances…
Read more »by Rep. Rob Ecklund District 3A International Falls, for the Mesabi Daily News, Mar 21, 2019 In 1858, the year of Minnesota’s statehood, and even before that in our territorial days, our founders had the foresight to recognize our land is one of our most valuable assets. They also recognized that the future success of…
Read more »BY THOMAS GIBSON, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 02/14/19 04:30 PM EST THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL Dumped and subsidized steel imports have damaged the health of the American steel industry, which directly and indirectly supports more than 2 million jobs. Unfairly traded imports have caused steel plants to shutter and…
Read more »By Dee DePass Star Tribune JANUARY 31, 2019 — 11:14PM The Port of Duluth-Superior finished the 2018 shipping season with the best iron ore shipments in five years, signaling a solid recovery for the recently ailing taconite industry. Total port shipments grew 7 percent from 2017 to 35.9 million tons of cargo, with iron ore composing the largest…
Read more »It was a busy and complicated year for some of the mining industry’s big players. Here’s a look at some of the major events. It was a busy and complicated year for some of the mining industry’s big players. Here’s a look at some of the major events. First off, it was a contract year….
Read more »The St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes ports are reporting strong growth in November cargo volumes that is expected to carry through in the final weeks of the 2018 season. Overall cargo volumes through the St. Lawrence Seaway from March 29 to Nov. 30 topped 36 million metric tons, up 5.3 percent over the same…
Read more »Informed Infrastructure Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from production of Chinese steel are substantially greater than emissions from production of comparable steel in North America, according to a series of reports released today by the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Two peer-reviewed reports (North America and China)…
Read more »by Lee Bloomquist for the Mesabi Daily News “They poured the sweat from their brows and the love from their souls to support their families. And they love their country. “ It’s the voice of President Donald Trump. It’s the voice of President Trump speaking about America’s steelworkers in a new iron and steel industry…
Read more »by Minnesota AgConnection Bridge View Park opened last month offering one of the few places that Minnesota’s tallest bridge can be viewed in its entirety. Located on the Mesabi Trail less than a mile south of East Chestnut Street in the City of Virginia, the park reveals a spectacular view of the 204-foot Highway 53…
Read more »by Marie Tolonen, Chisholm Tribune Press More than a dozen golden shovels turned the first materials at the future location of Bruce Mine Park on Tuesday. A groundbreaking ceremony at the site was attended by an estimated 55 or so people, including elected officials from the City of Chisholm, State of Minnesota, St. Louis County…
Read more »by Greg Aamot, MinnPost Art Lind has been involved in the mining industry in various capacities since the early 1960s, when he went to work for a company that repaired conveyor belts used by the mines on the Iron Range. He once worked on a survey crew that laid out the foundations for two taconite…
Read more »Melissa Nann Burke, The Detroit News The U.S. House voted Thursday to approve legislation including authorization for $922.4 million to build a large replacement lock at the Upper Peninsula’s Soo Locks. The water-infrastructure bill, which passed on a voice vote, next heads to the U.S. Senate, where its passage and the president’s signature would be the first concrete step…
Read more »by Erin Hinrichs, MinnPost Before the kickoff of fall sports, staff at the Eveleth-Gilbert Senior High were busy selling tickets to die-hard Iron Range sports fans. Among them, Tony Tassoni — an Eveleth resident of more than 80 years — stopped by on Monday to purchase his season pass. Nowadays, he has a grandson to…
Read more »Fox 6 There’s lightning — and then there’s lightning like Jack Brandenburg captured on Lake Michigan this week. Brandenburg was in the pilothouse of the 1,004-foot Mesabi Miner — a freighter loaded with iron ore from Duluth, Minnesota — when it encountered a storm on Lake Michigan on Tuesday morning, Aug. 28. Jack Brandenburg, a mate on…
Read more »by John Phelan for the Duluth News Tribune This month, the News Tribune published a commentary by Sandra B. Zellmer and Alexandra B. Klass of the Center for Progressive Reform. In it, they argued against Twin Metals and the possibility of sulfide-ore copper-nickel mining in Northeastern Minnesota (Professors’ View: “U-turn on Twin Metals a massive giveaway…
Read more »by Shailaja A. Lakshmi, Maritime News The new study by the Department of Transportation Great Lakes – Saint Lawrence Seaway says that shipping supports more than 237,000 jobs and billions in economic activity. A year-long study of the economic impacts of the entire Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system is a definitive and detailed report…
Read more »by Dee DePass, Star Tribune When Jim Bailey lost his oil fracking job last year, the Bemidji resident took a chance relocating his family to Hibbing, which lies in the heart of the Iron Range and its boom-or-bust economy. Bailey and his wife, Tracy, bought the shuttered Courtyard Cafe on historic Howard Street. In December,…
Read more »Thousands of people flock to Canal Park in Duluth, Minn., each year to watch and wave at the massive ships entering and exiting the Duluth harbor under the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge. What many don’t know is that when they are watching the ships, they are watching an integral part of Minnesota’s iron mining process….
Read more »Duluth News Tribune Editorial Board Outside of all the politicking and counter-politicking yesterday during President Donald Trump’s historic visit to Duluth, a bit of time encouragingly was set aside for matters that matter a little more. Specifically, mining and the Trump administration’s efforts to curb the Iron Range-harming practice of China and others to dump…
Read more »Superior Telegram The Soo Locks’ critical role in the national defense of the United States has prompted the House of Representatives to direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to accelerate its project to build a second Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. According to a news release issued by the Lake Carriers Association,…
Read more »Outdoor News Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke designated 19 national recreation trails in 17 states Wednesday, May 30, adding more than 370 miles to the national recreation trails system of more than 1,000 trails in all 50 states. Two of the trails are in Michigan, with one each in Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania….
Read more »by Angie Riebe, Mesabi Daily News When all is said and done, their voices will be heard. Voices of people like Bob Morton, who worked a little more than 37 years at Erie Mining Co., beginning as a laborer in April of 1959 and retiring in 1996 after many years spent in the taconite mine’s…
Read more »by Laura Kircher for Duluth News Tribune As a local business community, we can accomplish so much more when we listen and appreciate different points of view rather than when we draw a line in the sand and demand we all choose sides. The us-versus-them mentality isn’t in the spirit of our community or in…
Read more »by John Myers, Duluth News Tribune, April 2, 2018 Cleveland-Cliffs is ready to break ground on its long-promised hot-briquetted iron plant in Toledo, Ohio that will help boost production at Northshore Mining in Silver Bay. Northshore will produce the HBI-ready taconite pellets used at the $700 million Toledo plant that’s predicted to produce 1.6 million…
Read more »The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership, March 28, 2018 Located at the western-most point of Lake Superior on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, the Port of Duluth-Superior is considered the “bulk cargo capital” of the Great Lakes. Economy Truly the start of the seaway system, the Port of Duluth-Superior connects the U.S. and Canadian heartland to the rest of the…
Read more »by Michael Stumo, Opinion Contributor, The Hill, March 22, 2018 Listening to the media elite or to Wall Street’s free-trade cheerleaders, one gets the impression that the sky must be falling. Pundits have wasted little time in deriding President Trump’s recent decision to protect national security by imposing tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum. They…
Read more »Star Tribune, March 21, 2018 Minnesota celebrated the start of the 2018 commercial shipping season this week by opening the Port of Duluth-Superior to cargo ships that will deliver iron ore to customers along the Great Lakes, port and mining officials announced Wednesday. Duluth Seaway Port-Authority officials said the five ships departing the harbor will load iron ore from across…
Read more »by Joseph S. Pete, Northwest Indiana Times, March 20, 2018 Steelmakers are reviving shuttered steel mills and even looking to build a new one as 25 percent across-the-board tariffs strengthen the domestic steel industry. Republic Steel and U.S. Steel both announced they would restart mills and bring steelworkers back to work. London-based Liberty House is…
Read more »Star Tribune, March 13, 2018 We can all agree that Minnesota is blessed to be home to more global companies per capita than nearly any other state. These companies do, in fact, contribute to our quality of life. The Iron Mining Association of Minnesota’s member companies, including United States Steel, Cleveland Cliffs and Arcelor Mittal,…
Read more »by Jerry Burnes, Mesabi Daily News, March 12, 2018 Timing is everything, and for Iron Range leaders visiting the Minnesota Capitol today, their timing is impeccable. As Duluth and St. Louis County Days descend on St. Paul, and the chance for local politicians and organizations to promote themselves to state lawmakers, a delegation of county…
Read more »CNBC, March 5, 2018 Tim Timken of TimkenSteel Corporation said President Donald Trump‘s proposed steel tariffs “absolutely will” bring back jobs to the U.S. In the steel company’s Canton, Ohio, facilities, only two people work per shift. The rest of the company, which manufactures special bar quality steel in five U.S. locations, is fully automated. Timken — the chief executive…
Read more »Mesabi Daily News, March 2, 2018 President Trump’s vow to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum next week brought praise from the Iron Range and its mining companies Thursday. The long-awaited decision by the president comes after months of review by the U.S. Commerce Department, acting on a campaign promise made by Trump that helped…
Read more »Business North, March 1, 2018 Mining and manufacturing played a vital role in a successful fourth quarter of Minnesota exports, according to a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) report released Tuesday. The report, shared by the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota, shows iron ore was the primary driver behind a 75 percent…
Read more »Northwest Indiana Times, Feb. 25, 2018 The U.S. steel industry struggled with weak demand, low prices and high rates of imports over the last few years, but ArcelorMittal said in its annual report that conditions are finally turning around. ArcelorMittal, one of Northwest Indiana’s largest employers, lost $38.9 million in the United States in the…
Read more »Hometown Focus, Feb. 23, 2018 Iron mining is connected to a lot of facets of education including K-12 education and all University of Minnesota schools. Minnesota iron and taconite is mined out of leased land. Click here to read more.
Read more »Duluth News Tribune, Feb. 1, 2018 The iron ore was mined and processed by its bankrupt predecessor, but ERP Iron Ore this week shipped its first product ever to its first customers. The new version of the bankrupt Magnetation operations shipped three trainloads of iron ore to customers, including concentrate from near Grand Rapids to…
Read more »KBJR, Jan. 24, 2018 U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, as well as Congressman Rick Nolan, have asked President Trump to take action on ensuring the strength of the nation’s steel industry following an investigation by the Department of Commerce. The initial announcement of the investigation started a large amount of steel imports when…
Read more »Duluth News Tribune, Jan. 22, 2018 Tom Clarke leaned forward in a squeaky office chair in a drafty construction-site trailer, pulled out his phone and touched an app that exposed a countdown clock that flashed 171 days, 6 hours, 36 minutes and 28 seconds. “That’s how much time we have to get this moving. I…
Read more »FOX 21, Jan. 19, 2018 Former miners on the Iron Range are working together to ensure the legacy and history of the Erie Mining Company is never forgotten. A group of Erie Mining alum is writing a book with oral history recounts and information about the company throughout the years. The book will be distributed…
Read more »New York Times, Jan. 18, 2018 An intricate boat ballet plays out each January on the frigid waters of the northern Great Lakes. Thousand-foot freighters scramble to make final deliveries of iron ore to steel mills. The Coast Guard carves paths through ice-clogged shipping routes. And the Soo Locks, the engineering marvel connecting Lake Superior…
Read more »Less than a month into 2018 and already some major decisions impacting the iron mining industry and Iron Range communities have been made, setting a busy tone for the new year. “2018, I’m hoping to continue to build on the successes of 2017.” Iron Mining Association (IMA) President, Kelsey Johnson, says those successes have set high…
Read more »Reuters, Jan. 15, 2018 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCAU.N) (FCHA.MI) on Monday unveiled a redesigned Ram large pickup that along with General Motors Co’s (GM.N) new Chevrolet Silverado, which debuted on Saturday, sealed a double victory for the steel industry’s fight to remain the dominant metal in the auto market. The 2019 Ram is made…
Read more »Duluth News Tribune, Dec. 31, 2017 Fortunes are made and lost trying to predict what will happen in the complex machinery of the economy. Even at a local level, an unseen butterfly effect can alter the course of development and growth for years to come. Enough with predictions, then. What are the plans for the…
Read more »Reuters, Dec. 19, 2017 The United States needs to encourage domestic production of a handful of minerals critical for the technology and defense industries, and stem reliance on China, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said on Tuesday. Zinke made the remarks at the Interior Department as he unveiled a report by the U.S. Geological Survey…
Read more »Mesabi Daily News, Nov. 30, 2017 After a lot of anticipation, the U.S. steel industry can expect to see some payoff entering the new year if the bullish outlook of Lourenco Goncalves, chairman, president and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs, rings true. Speaking at the annual Goldman Sachs Global Metals and Mining Conference in New York on…
Read more »Mesabi Daily News, Nov. 22, 2017 Minnesota’s iron mines generated more than $96 million for communities in 2017, according to the 2017 Mining Tax Guide, published this week by the state Department of Revenue. The tax dollars were distributed this year and based off 2016 production, which totaled more than 29 million tons of ore…
Read more »Duluth News Tribune, Nov. 2, 2017 For 40 years, the smallest taconite plant on Minnesota’s Iron Range has been the steadiest. Today that little plant, ArcelorMittal Minorca, is poised to achieve an impressive milestone. At its current production rate, the 2.8 million ton-per year facility will produce its 100 millionth ton of iron ore pellets…
Read more »by Northwest Indiana Times, Oct. 24, 2017 ArcelorMittal recently picked up a pair of awards, including a prestigious Steelie Award from the Belgium-based World Steel Association. Click here to read more.
Read more »by WDIO, Oct. 21, 2017 Northshore Mining has been making direct-reduced (DR) grade pellets for years at the plant in Silver Bay. But because the plant was not built for that type of production, it’s not as efficient as it could be. But that is going to change, when Cleveland-Cliffs invests $75 million dollars into the…
Read more »Detroit News, Oct. 12, 2017 I’m writing in response to “Domestic steel wants lasting fix from Trump tariffs,” Sept. 6. Though I fully agree the local economic impact highlighted in the story is important, as a Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve, the issue of U.S. steel production is also of critical importance for our…
Read more »Duluth News Tribune Taconite shipping had another great month in August thanks to global trade and a robust regional economy. Read more.
Read more »WDIO: Eyewitness News The greater Twin Ports area saw a 2.2 percent growth in employment over the past year as logging and mining led the state in job growth. Read more.
Read more »NWI Great Lakes steel production shot up to a yearly high of 709,000 tons last week, an increase of 4.88 percent. Read more.
Read more »Duluth News Tribune More than a third of the iron ore shipped out of the Twin Ports so far this year has left the country. Read more.
Read more »StarTribune Minnesota exports jumped 7 percent during the second quarter, with sales of $5.1 billion in manufactured, mined and farmed products, state officials reported Thursday. Read more.
Read more »Since Minnesota first started mining iron ore in 1884, iron mining and, thereby, steel production in the United States has played (and continues to play) a vital role in every Minnesotan’s life. It’s not only the products made from iron and steel that we use day to day, but the unseen contributions these industries make…
Read more »posted by WDIO, June 13, 2017 It’s been a roller coaster ride for folks waiting for progress on the former Essar site. Click here to read more.
Read more »by Joseph S. Pete, Northwest Indiana Times, May 31, 2017 Domestic steelmakers say the record tide of imports threatens the very existence of American steelmaking, putting national security at risk. Click here to read more.
Read more »Kevin K. Kearns letter to Duluth News Tribune, May 20, 2017 While it may not necessarily be the case in Northeastern Minnesota, when most Americans think of mining, they think of the past. They envision an old 1840s gold mine or something out of a Wild West movie. Click here to read more.
Read more »posted by Chesterton Tribune, May 16, 2017 In 1994, Audi developed an all-aluminum “body-in-white” for its A8, trading the relative expense of aluminum relative to steel for the advantage of lighter weight. Click here to read more.
Read more »released by Cliffs Natural Resources, May 16, 2017 Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) announced today that production of the new Mustang superflux pellet has started at its United Taconite mine. The start up of the new production equipment, including supporting infrastructure, was flawlessly executed on schedule, after nine months of construction, as planned, and within the original…
Read more »by Brooks Johnson, Mesabi Daily News, May 15, 2017 The early numbers are in, and the early numbers look good: Maritime traffic at the Port of Duluth-Superior is up 7 percent over last year. Click here to read more.
Read more »posted by Mesabi Daily News, May 10, 2017 Iron ore mining has near-unanimous support across Minnesota, according to a recent poll from the 2016 Minnesota State Survey. Click here to read more.
Read more »by John Myers, Duluth News Tribune, May 1, 2017 Cliffs Natural Resources, the largest iron ore producer in the U.S., celebrated 170 years in business Monday when company officials rang the closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange. Click here to read more.
Read more »by Jerry Burnes, Mesabi Daily News, April 29, 2017 Minnesota Republicans unanimously passed a pro-mining resolution at the party’s Central Committee hearing Saturday in St. Cloud. Click here to read more.
Read more »CNBC reporter Jackie DeAngelis tells the story of how steel is made and how our industry has been impacted by unfairly traded steel products. The story aired April 13th on PBS’ Nightly Business Report, which is produced by CNBC. Click here to watch.
Read more »by Jacob M. Schlesinger, Rebecca Bellhaus, and William Mauldin, Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2017 The Trump administration has opened a wide-ranging probe into whether to curb steel imports in the name of national security, ramping up its campaign to give a more economic nationalist tinge to American trade policy. Click here to read more.
Read more »by WDIO, April 18, 2017 Instead of being in an adversarial relationship, mining and tourism should support one another. That’s according to a new study just released in time for the SME Conference. Click here to read more.
Read more »by Kelly Grinsteinner, Hibbing Daily Tribune When Andrew Lucia was back home in Hibbing last spring, a newspaper article about the relocation of the Hull Rust Mine View caught his attention. Read more.
Read more »by Joseph S. Pete, Northwest Indiana Times The U.S. Congressional Steel Caucus held its most optimistic annual hearing in years in Washington D.C. on Wednesday. Read more.
Read more »by Alicia Acuna, Fox News Military veterans can have a tough time re-entering the workforce after serving in war. The special skills honed on the battlefield don’t always translate to the civilian world. Read more.
Read more »Mesabi Daily News staff report Mining contributed to $19 billion in state exports, according to a recent report from the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Read more.
Read more »by Duluth News Tribune The Roger Blough was the first freighter of the 2017 commercial shipping season to leave the Twin Ports this morning. Read more.
Read more »by Joseph S. Pete, Northwest Indiana Times Great Lakes steel production rose to 694,000 tons last week, up slightly from 689,000 tons of output the previous week. Read more.
Read more »by Duluth News Tribune That rousing cheer from Northeastern Minnesota during President Donald Trump’s first address to Congress came when he announced, “We have cleared the way for the construction of the Keystone and Dakota Access pipelines, thereby creating tens of thousands of jobs. And I’ve issued a new directive that new American pipelines be…
Read more »by Joseph S. Pete, Northwest Indiana Times ArcelorMittal, which employs 10,000 people in Northwest Indiana, is forecasting an improvement in steel prices, which made strong gains last year, Director of State Tax and Local Government Affairs Susan Zlajic said. Read more.
Read more »by Reuters The U.S. International Trade Commission said on Friday it had made a final finding that the U.S. industry was being harmed by the dumping and subsidization of imports of carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate from China. Read more.
Read more »by Joseph S. Pete, Northwest Indiana Times The United States made about 6.9 million tons of steel in January, a 6.5 percent increase year-over-year, according to the World Steel Association. Read more.
Read more »The latest Hometown Focus mining edition was released today. To view the full e-edition, click here.
Read more »by Ron Brochu, Business North President Donald Trump said Thursday he would visit U.S. Steel’s taconite operations in Minnesota. Read more.
Read more »by Rachel Cao, CNBC Mark Cuban made comments recently about how robotics and automation are the wave of the future and could cause unemployment in America. Read more.
Read more »by Jerry Burnes, Mesabi Daily News What’s it mean to be business of the year? It isn’t some arbitrary handout, especially not this year. Read more.
Read more »The latest MINE edition was released today by the Chisholm Tribune Press, Grand Rapids Herald Review, Hibbing Daily Tribune, and Mesabi Daily News. To view the full e-edition, click here.
Read more »by John Myers, Duluth News Tribune Tom Clarke has developed a pattern in recent years: finding shuttered, bankrupt companies, buying them for pennies on the dollar and then restarting them at just the right time. Read more.
Read more »Mesabi Daily News staff report Minnesota’s mining industry injected more than $106 million in local communities in 2016, according to a report released by the Minnesota Department of Revenue. Read more.
Read more »by John Myers, Duluth News Tribune Mines off all kinds across the U.S. produced an estimated $74.6 billion of raw mineral materials in 2016, a slight increase from 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey announced Tuesday. Read more.
Read more »by Steel Market Update Two of America’s steel industry leaders are among a team of 28 business leaders assembled by President Trump to provide ideas on how to promote job growth in the manufacturing sector. Read more.
Read more »by Len Boselovic, Pittsburgh Post Gazette U.S. Steel president and CEO Mario Longhi is included in a group of business leaders that President Donald Trump plans to rely on in his efforts to increase U.S. manufacturing jobs. Read more.
Read more »by WDIO President Donald Trump signed several executive orders on Tuesday, that could benefit steelworkers in the Northland. Read more.
Read more »by Joanne Klimovich Harrop, Trib Live The Rust Belt — a geographic area that once served as the hub of American industry — was the inspiration for a new T-shirt line created by two elementary school buddies from Youngstown, Ohio. Read more.
Read more »This letter acknowledges, with great appreciation, our neighbor and peer David Ross, president of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce for his Dec. 31 Opinion piece in the News Tribune (Local View: “Sharing responsibility for council’s misguided actions”) and for his Jan. 6 Opinion piece in the Duluth Budgeteer (“City Council disrupting our Twin Ports”)….
Read more »by Jerry Burnes, Mesabi Daily News U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar brought the issue of illegal steel dumping right to the doorstep of the Trump Administration on Wednesday. Read more.
Read more »by WDIO The first large wave of people returning to work at Keetac starts on Tuesday. Read more.
Read more »by Joseph S. Pete, Northwest Indiana Times Steelmakers in the United States shipped 6.72 million tons of steel products in November, the most recent month for which data was available. Read more.
Read more »by Ranjeetha Pakiam, Bloomberg Iron ore imports by China surged to a record above 1 billion metric tons last year as unexpectedly strong steel production and lower local mine output combined to fire up demand in the world’s top buyer for cargoes from Australia and Brazil, supporting a rebound in prices. Read more.
Read more »by Kelly Grinsteinner, Hibbing Daily Tribune In just the past four years, the volume of visitors to the Hull Rust Mine View has increased by more than 10,000 persons. Read more.
Read more »by Duluth News Tribune Even with vessels steaming nonstop in and out of Lake Superior, ship owners play it close to the vest — not willing to “go there” when asked if the race is on to move as much cargo as possible in anticipation of the annual closing of the Soo Locks on Jan….
Read more »by Baihly Warfield, WDIO The Christmas lights on Keewatin’s streets seemed to shine a little brighter Thursday night after news circulated about Keetac’s impending restart. Read more.
Read more »by Jerry Burnes, Mesabi Daily News, and Tony Potter, Hibbing Daily Tribune Keewatin Taconite will end a near 20-month closure within the next few weeks, resulting in hundreds of employees returning to work. Read more.
Read more »by Michael Pooler, Financial Times The US steel industry is expected to return to growth next year, with production predicted to rise on lower imports and buoyant demand from the construction and energy sectors. Read more.
Read more »by Tom Coombe, Timberjay A grassroots, Ely-based organization formed to support mining in northeastern Minnesota has attracted over 10,000 members in less than a week. Read more.
Read more »by John Myers, Duluth News Tribune A federal bankruptcy judge in Delaware has approved a new name for the company formerly known as Essar Steel Minnesota. Mesabi Metallics was officially approved earlier this week as the new name of the still-bankrupt entity that controls a half-built but shuttered taconite mine and processing center in Nashwauk….
Read more »by Ben Levisohn, Barron’s Last night, U.S. Steel (X) said it would re-start production at its shuttered Granite City plant. Macquarie’s Aldo Mazzaferro considers the implications: Despite the lack of volume impact, we think this is a smart move strategically since it allows US Steel to perform the needed maintenance and upgrading on its three other…
Read more »by Brooks Johnson, Duluth News Tribune The bane of so many Northland drivers might be better solved with a famous Northland export: taconite. A study by the University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute this year looked at new ways of using taconite byproducts to patch pavement and fill in potholes. “The two repair alternatives…
Read more »by Philip K Bell, The Hill Rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure is a hot topic in Washington again, and as it should be, it also appears to be a top priority for the incoming administration. Our system for moving goods has been neglected for far too long and is in dire need of an update. And…
Read more »by Joseph S Pete, Northwest Indiana Times U.S. Steel had its best quarterly performance since 2014, but missed analysts’ estimates of $337 million in Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amoritization by $65 million, or 19 percent, as it looks to get back on its feet in a challenging time for steelmakers. The company just…
Read more »by Beth Bily, Business North Essar Steel Minnesota’s new CEO, Matthew Stock, has wasted no time introducing himself to Iron Range officials. Stock, who replaced Madhu Vuppuluri in July, addressed the Nashwauk City Council Tuesday in an attempt to assure locals that the company does, indeed, have a path forward. Stock’s company has been under…
Read more »by Dan Kraker, MPR Seventy-year old John Schaubach steadily ground the gears of his mountain bike up a winding trail to the summit of Miner’s Mountain in the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area — then let out a war whoop as he surveyed the commanding view of aqua blue lakes surrounded by steep red hills,…
Read more »Grand Rapids Herald Review Staff Report A U.S. bankruptcy court on Thursday approved a motion to terminate Magnetation LLC’s pellet purchase agreement with AK Steel, effectively marking the end of the innovative mining company. “Now, our focus shifts to safely shutting down the Pellet Plant and Plant 4 in order to preserve their value for…
Read more »by Jerry Burnes, Mesabi Daily News About a month away from November’s General Election and the Iron Range again rallied support behind Congressman Rick Nolan, D-Minn. Nolan on Tuesday was named a Steel Champion by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) at Hibbing Taconite for his support of the steel industry and its employees….
Read more »By Mike Hughlett, Star Tribune Utility regulators Thursday approved a Minnesota Power proposal to cut rates by 5 percent for its struggling large customers — particularly taconite mines. But regulators essentially put off a decision on a plan that would fund the industrial rate cut with a 10 percent rate increase for residential customers. The Minnesota Public…
Read more »by Dee DePass, Star Tribune This week, Minnesota’s Congressional Delegation proudly announced that The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) has launched new trade tariffs against seven nations that are designed to thwart the illegal dumping of underpriced steel products- a practice that badly hurt Minnesota’s Iron Range and U.S. steel producers. While new tariffs…
Read more »by Associated Press United Taconite has resumed producing pellets on northeastern Minnesota’s Iron Range. Cleveland-based Cliffs Natural Resources earlier announced it would restart operations in August at its United Taconite mining facilities, two months earlier than previously announced. WDIO-TV reports production resumed this week. The mine in Eveleth and the processing plant in nearby Forbes…
Read more »by Dee DePass, Star Tribune The recall of laidoff workers at the United Taconite plant and the start of construction on a $65 million iron-ore pellet plant in Forbes, Minn., is bringing much needed good news to Minnesota’s Iron Range. Gov. Mark Dayton, Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Minn., company officials and scores of recently recalled workers…
Read more »by Chelsee Moe, FOX 21 Mining industry layoffs on the Iron Range have been common in recent years but there is good news as some of those employees are now back at work. Cliffs United Taconite is starting up its Mustang Pellet Project in Forbes which is bringing thousands of people back to work. Cliffs…
Read more »by Pittsburgh Business Times United States Steel Corp. CEO Mario Longhi praised the U.S. Department of Commerce’s ruling on three trade cases the company filed in 2015 that include a 57 percent duty on two South Korean companies’ imports of hot-rolled steel. The cases involved imported hot-rolled steel from Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, Turkey, Australia,…
Read more »Minnesota’s iron mining industry is facing new market realities. In 2015, while the broader American economy grew modestly, global market conditions and competitive pressures from overseas resulted in the idling of iron ore mines and layoffs for thousands of people who work in the mining industry. The numerous businesses that provide support to the mining…
Read more »by Peter Buxbaum, American Journal of Transportation Three leading U.S. steel companies have reported enhanced profitability recently, in one case, less egregious negative results. All three attribute their brighter financial picture to falling steel imports and those thanks to the trade sanctions the United States government has imposed on foreign steel producers, most notably China,…
Read more »by Northwest Indiana Times, July 20, 2016 The U.S. Department of Commerce is looking at slapping tariffs of up to 59 percent on heavy walled structural tubing steel from Korea, Mexico and Turkey. U.S. steelmakers had sought tariffs on the steel products that are used in oil exploration and energy production, and often shaped from…
Read more »by Duluth News Tribune editorial board, June 5, 2016 U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan doesn’t flinch, doesn’t even hesitate, when asked his top priority right now. “(Getting) the Iron Range community and business interests back on track,” the congressman said Friday in an exclusive interview with the News Tribune editorial board. “And it’s not just about…
Read more »by Dan Kraker, MPR, May 31, 2016 United Taconite, a huge open pit iron ore mine in Eveleth and taconite pellet plant in Forbes, will restart operations in mid-October and ramp up to full production by November, according to Cliffs Natural Resources CEO Lourenco Goncalves. “Now we have a firm timeline to start bringing people back…
Read more »by Bill Hanna, Mesabi Daily News, May 18, 2016 Hefty tariffs have been imposed by the U.S. Commere Department on Chinese and Japanese illegally subsidized steel dumped into the American market. The tariffs on Chinese steel are set at 266 percent and 71 percent for Japanese products. Steel dumping the past 18 months has been…
Read more »by WDIO, May 5, 2016 SILVER BAY, Minn. – More than 400 workers at Cliffs Natural Resources’ Northshore Mining are back to work this week, ahead of schedule. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar confirmed the news Thursday, after she toured the facility in Silver Bay and met with workers. She said this is a good start,…
Read more »by Len Boselovic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 26, 2016 U.S. Steel president and CEO Mario Longhi said today the worst days of the industry’s latest cyclical swoon appear to be over. “It’s my perception that we have probably seen bottom,” Mr. Longhi told reporters following U.S. Steel’s shareholder meeting this morning at U.S. Steel Tower, Downtown….
Read more »by News Chronicle Staff, April 23, 2016 The Silver Bay City Council last week unanimously voted that three Lake Superior beaches — Black Beach, Agate Beach and Peach Beach — will be included in a public park known as Black Beach Park. The issue came up Monday when the council was discussing options for Minnesota…
Read more »This video from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration (SME) shows how absolutely everything we depend on is either made from minerals or relies on minerals for its production and distribution. WATCH
Read more »by John Myers, Duluth News Tribune, April 12, 2016 U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan on Tuesday told a convention of mining executives that Minnesota can have both mining and a clean environment, and that he’s working to make sure copper mining happens in the state. Nolan, D-Crosby, who represents Northeastern Minnesota’s Iron Range, was the opening…
Read more »by Elizabeth Brotherton-Bunch, Alliance for American Manufacturing, April 12, 2016 Steelworkers across the country are reeling because of China’s unchecked steel overcapacity. More than 1,500 people have been laid off in Granite City, Ill. In Fairfield, Ala., about 1,000 people are currently out of work. There also have been tens of thousands of additional layoffs…
Read more »by Dan Kraker, MPR, April 11, 2016 Iron deposits in Minnesota’s northeastern quadrant have given the state’s Iron Range its name and its purpose — but they’ve also set the region along the boom-and-bust roller coaster of a mining-based economy. Minnesota’s iron ore mining industry has been hit hard by a surge in steel imports to…
Read more »Are you laid off from a mining operation or mining industry vendor? If so, you are eligible to attend the 2016 SME MN Conference! SME Conference funding approved for Dislocated Workers (DW) through Workforce Centers The 89th Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Section of SME is the top performing regional minerals conference in the…
Read more »by Joseph S. Pete, Northwest Indiana Times, March 30, 2016 Lake freighters can again haul iron ore from Minnesota’s Iron Range to Northwest Indiana’s steel mills after the Soo Locks in Michigan reopened for the season. “When it comes to first pour steel, this country’s stronghold is the Great Lakes basin,” said Vanta Coda, executive…
Read more »by Mark O’Hara, Market Realist, March 28, 2016 Steel importsUS steel companies filed a series of trade cases last year to stem the flow of imported steel products into the United States. State support to steel mills in countries such as China and India has been cited often as a reason US steel companies are finding…
Read more »by Joseph S. Pete, Northwest Indiana Times, March 22, 2016 ArcelorMittal USA plate was used to make the USS Illinois submarine, a 377-foot-long vessel that can travel at more than 25 knots while submerged. The $2.7 billion Virginia-class submarine, which weighs 7,835 tons, was commissioned in December and can be used against submarines, surface ships…
Read more »Posted by the Duluth News Tribune, March 21, 2016 First came the engine department and kitchen crews reporting for duty about 10 days ago. A few days later came the conveyor and deck crews. Now, it’s time for the 2016-17 Great Lakes shipping campaign to get underway. The first two of several ships wintering in…
Read more »By Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, March 16, 2016 A U.S. Department of Homeland Security report indicates a six-month shutdown of the Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., if one occurred, would plunge the nation into recession, closing factories and mines, halting auto and appliance production in the U.S. for most of a year…
Read more »by Bernie Woodall, Reuters, March 1, 2016 U.S. February auto sales soared to a 15-year high for the month, carmakers reported on Tuesday, in the latest sign of continued consumer confidence. Auto sales last month rose about 7 percent, helped by low gasoline prices, available and low-interest credit and higher wages. WardsAuto said February sales…
Read more »by Allison Sherry, Star Tribune, Feb. 25, 2016 The Obama administration announced new executive actions Thursday aimed at thwarting illegal foreign steel dumping into the market, which workers on the Iron Range and Minnesota politicians blame for the slowdown in the mining industry there. The executive actions include adding more inspectors of steel imports at…
Read more »by Joseph S. Pete, Northwest Indiana Times, Feb. 24, 2016 President Barack Obama signed a customs bill Wednesday that contains added protections for the domestic steel industry, whose advocates hailed it as a “good news day” and even a “great day.” “Duplicitous foreign countries and foreign companies have been circumventing our trade laws to dump…
Read more »by Tim Pugmire, MPR, Feb. 17, 2016 Gov. Mark Dayton is seeking the help of his fellow governors to protect the struggling U.S. steel industry. Dayton told reporters Wednesday that he’s already partnered with Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad on the effort to restrict foreign steel imports. They plan to enlist others during this weekend’s National…
Read more »by Randy Abernethy and four others for Duluth News Tribune, Feb. 10, 2016 “We are in the emergency room.” That was the description of the U.S. iron and steel industries as recently offered by a CEO from a company that supports thousands of jobs in our region. Such a statement, coupled with the reality of…
Read more »Every day, in nearly every facet of life, we use products created by Minnesota’s iron mining industry. The Iron Mining History First mined in northeastern Minnesota’s Iron Range in 1884, iron mining and, thereby, steel production in the United States has long-played (and continues to play) a vital role in every individual’s life. America (and…
Read more »by Jon Collins, MPR, Oct 9, 2015 A dinosaur claw fossil — a little more than an inch long — was found on Minnesota’s Iron Range late this summer by a team of researchers at Hill Annex Mine. Mark Ryan | Courtesy Science Museum of Minnesota A dinosaur claw fossil found on Minnesota’s Iron Range…
Read more »by Matthew Philips and Cristina Lindblad, Bloomberg, Sept. 3, 2015 When John Pierpont Morgan bought Andrew Carnegie’s steel business and combined it with two competitors to create U.S. Steel in 1901, the result was the world’s first billion-dollar corporation. Its roughly $1.4 billion market value would translate into about $33 billion in current dollars. But the…
Read more »by David Boe, Business North, Aug. 27, 2015 With five months of uncertainty still remaining, 2015 is turning out as a red-letter year for iron mining in the Northland. Hundreds have lost their jobs as mines on the Iron Range have been idled, with more losses possible as the industry – and the region –…
Read more »by Marie Tolonen, Chisholm Tribune Press, Aug. 29, 2015 CHISHOLM — The castle on the grounds of the Minnesota Museum of Mining in Chisholm recently received some statewide recognition. It, along with several other structures, was listed by the website onlyinyourstate.com on a compilation of 10 hidden castles in the state. “An abundance of lakes, parks and…
Read more »By Ann Wessel, St. Cloud Times, July 6, 2015 Mining opened the earth here, producing 64 million tons of iron ore, leaving a 200-foot-tall pile of reddish rock and a 300-foot-deep lake, and creating a magnet for history-lovers and fossil-seekers. Hill Annex Mine State Park lies beyond a locked gate. Exploration is by organized tour…
Read more »Posted by MPR, June 23, 2015 The U.S. spent $31.8 billion fixing roads in 2011. New research using mining waste from Minnesota might be able to reduce that hefty annual cost for taxpayers. Taconite mining waste, known as tailings, has regularly been used as ballast in railroad beds. But now, researcher Larry Zanko tells MPR…
Read more »by the Maritime Executive, June 10, 2015 U.S. manufacturing is expected to keep ship traffic on the St. Lawrence Seaway bustling this season after a strong start for general cargo shipments through the navigation system. According to the St. Lawrence Seaway, shipments of steel, aluminum, wind turbines and other heavy machinery were up by 5…
Read more »by Emily Kaiser, MPR, June 5, 2015 University of Minnesota scientists say research is key to understanding the effects of mining in Minnesota and developing economically and environmentally sustainable practices for the industry. Although lawmakers turned aside a request for more money to expand research, the university does have several ongoing investigations. MPR News’ Tom…
Read more »by Joseph S. Pete, Northwest Indiana Times, June 1, 2015 Amid companywide cutbacks and thousands of layoffs, U.S. Steel is making a strategic investment in one aspect of the steel business that has been steadily growing in recent years: advanced high-strength steels for lighter cars. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker spent $25.2 million to buy AK Steel’s interest…
Read more »by Mike Binkley, WCCO, May 31, 2015 This year, thousands will take a side trip to a giant hole in the ground in northern Minnesota that locals like to call “the GrandCanyon of the North.” It’s not a natural wonder. It’s a panoramic collection of cliffs, ridges and valleys that have all been carved up…
Read more »by Anne Steele, Wall Street Journal, May 30, 2015 Hot sales in May could put the U.S. auto industry well on its way to delivering 17 million new vehicles this year—a level unseen since 2001. On Tuesday, auto makers are expected to report May sales, and analysts are forecasting 1.59 million vehicles for the month….
Read more »by Ken Vogel, Lake County News-Chronicle, May 16, 2015 “Black Beach” in Silver Bay is slated to open Memorial Day weekend, and a campground at the beach is in the works. On Monday, the Silver Bay City Council passed a resolution accepting a grant from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board for the initial…
Read more »By Kelly Grinsteinner, Hibbing Daily Tribune, May 14, 2015 When Geologist Frank Pezzutto asked the dozen or so Boy Scouts what gypsum crystals are used for in our everyday life, all but one stood there in Minnesota Discovery Center’s Hall of Geology baffled. “Sheet rock,” yelled one of the scouts. And he was right. For the…
Read more »Posted by Mining.com, April 30, 2015 On Tuesday, IndustryWeek highlighted the Reshoring Initiative’s annual report, which states that more than 60,000 manufacturing jobs returned to the United States in 2014. This reflects a 400 percent increase from 2003. Harry Moser, president of the Reshoring Initiative, shares his insights: “…the trend in manufacturing in the United…
Read more »By Dee DePass, Star Tribune, April 29, 2015 Minnesota’s iron ore producers have mostly been cutting back lately as global steel demand slumps. But the CEO of Cliffs Natural Resources gave the state two turns of good news Wednesday, when he targeted a different state in which to idle a taconite plant and announced that…
Read more »By WDIO, March 27, 2015 WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith, and U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan met Friday with top administration officials at the White House in an effort to determine what immediate steps can be taken to stop mining and steel industry job losses stemming from…
Read more »By Josh Lee, Northland’s News Center, March 2, 2015 The Virginia and Hibbing Salvation Armies’ food shelves received a boost to their food donations. Members of the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota donated one-thousand dollars to each organization following a fundraiser at its annual Funspiel curling event. Sixteen other local businesses contributed to the fundraiser….
Read more »Click here to see the most recent MINE special edition recently released in the Hibbing Daily Tribune, Mesabi Daily News, Grand Rapids Herald Review & Chisholm Tribune Press.
Read more »By Jeffrey Sparshott, Wall Street Journal, Jan. 22, 2015 Finance and insurance, natural resources and real estate industries were the biggest drivers of the third quarter’s strong economic growth, the Commerce Department said Thursday. The industries accounted for just over half of the 5.0% advance for gross domestic product from July to September. That marked the strongest seasonally…
Read more »By the Grand Rapids Herald Review, Jan. 16, 2015 Job seekers from around the state can pursue career opportunities in Minnesota’s vital mining industry and meet potential employers during 3rd Annual Mining Industry Day .This free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30 at the Minnesota Discovery Center…
Read more »By John W. Miller, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 22, 2014 HIBBING, Minn.— Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is banking on the Midwest, a forgotten niche in the global commodities market. For more than a century, huge iron-ore reserves in this remote region have provided the raw material to make steel in blast furnaces that have populated the industrial heartland…
Read more »By WDIO.com, Dec. 11, 2014 Northeast Minnesota is making progress in attracting a younger workforce. According to a report from IRRRB, industries like mining are now employing more people under the age of 45 than they were in 2003. In fact, mining has undergone the most dramatic change. Almost 70 percent of the workforce used…
Read more »This MINE special edition of recent Iron Range newspapers does a great job telling the story of Minnesota Iron – from the mines themselves to companies that supply goods and services to the mines to business and community leaders. #imagineliFewithoutiron To see the special edition, click here.
Read more »Photos by the Pioneer Press, Oct. 20, 2014 The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, the Minnesota Vikings and Mortenson Construction hosted a construction update and tour of the new Vikings stadium site in downtown Minneapolis on Monday afternoon, Oct. 20, 2014. The $1 billion, 65,000 seat stadium will be finished in time for the 2016 NFL season….
Read more »Posted by Wall Street Journal, Sept. 24, 2014 With aluminum making inroads in the automotive industry, one state-of-the-art steel plant in rural Alabama is investing in new forms of advanced high-strength steels ready to be made into cars. For the video, click here.
Read more »By Elvina Nawaguna, Reuters, Aug. 22, 2014 The U.S. International Trade Commission on Friday voted to impose anti-dumping duties against steel pipe imports from six countries, exempting two, handing a victory to domestic producers who had complained that the cheap imports were undercutting their prices. Countries whose steel will be subject to duties will be…
Read more »July 31, 2014 Soudan, MN (NNCNOW.com) – Breitung Township Administrator and 3rd generation miner Tim Tomsich says there’s no denying his family’s connection with Iron Range ferrous mining. Both he and his wife’s grandfather began their careers in the Soudan Mine. “Her brother worked as a tour guide in the Soudan State Park, and my…
Read more »Second of the Minerals in our Electrical World series The Minerals Education Coalition (MEC) of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Foundation (SMEF) is pleased to announce the release of its latest video, Iron in our Electrical World. The second in the popular Minerals in our Electrical World series, this 19-minute video will be…
Read more »Reuters reported that credit controls imposed on China’s debt ridden steel sector have left many producers unable to afford upgrades needed to survive the country’s war on pollution and 80 million tonnes of capacity could shut in two years. Mr Zhao Xizi chairman of the All China Chamber of Commerce for Small and Medium Sized…
Read more »The United States has brought first-of-its kind cyber-espionage charges against five Chinese military officials accused of hacking into U.S. companies to gain trade secrets. According to the indictment, hackers targeted the U.S. nuclear power, metals and solar products industries and are accused of stealing trade secrets and economic espionage. Among the alleged victims is U.S….
Read more »As new models of high-performance, innovative and more efficient American cars debut at auto shows across the country, the future of the U.S. auto industry looks bright. Yet the companies developing these next-generation vehicles are increasingly concerned about their ability to procure the materials vital to every car on the road: minerals. From iron used…
Read more »Following a dip in February, when many parts of the United States were still suffering the impact of a harsh winter, exports responded well to the milder weather that followed, surging 15 percent in March. This increase put the monthly export total at more than 1 million tons for the first time since October. Canada,…
Read more »Magnetation has released a video detailing its Plant 4 project in Coleraine. Scram mining, another example of how the iron mining industry continues to grow and evolve, takes old red ore sites’ tailings basins and extracts the iron left behind. Magnetation’s video gives a sneak peek at what their product is used for, what Plant…
Read more »It took 11 days to make the distance usually covered in about 30 hours, but the first Minnesota taconite iron ore has reached its steel mill destination in Indiana. The ore boats Cason J. Calloway and John G. Munson arrived at the U.S. Steel Gary Works on Tuesday, and just in time. Opertions at the…
Read more »Minnesota exports came on strong late last year, growing at their fastest quarterly rate in more than two years. That’s the information about a late-year surge driving export growth from the Minnesota Trade Office (MTO). Kathleen Motzenbecker, MTO executive director, stated in a news release Minnesota “exports of manufactured, agricultural and mining products grew to…
Read more »The 2008 financial crisis led to one of the largest declines in steel output in decades, falling almost 10% from 2007 to 2009, according to the World Steel Association (WSA). The slow recovery, however, already signals a reversal: in the first three quarters of 2013, global steel production rose to 1.582 million metric tons (mmt),…
Read more »Ford Motor Co.’s aluminum-intensive F-150 likely will lure loyal truck buyers to showrooms when it debuts late this year, but experts warn consumers should prepare for sticker shock — after the purchase. Parts and repair costs could double for the aluminum truck, say experts and body shops that fix aluminum cars on the market. And…
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