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U.S. Steel to Restart Granite City Blast Furnace, Targeting First-Half 2026 Production

The move follows months of demand analysis under federal oversight tied to Nippon Steel’s recent acquisition.

FILE - A giant ladle glows red after pouring molten iron in to a vessel inside the basic oxygen furnace as part of the processes of making steel at the U.S. Steel Granite City Works facility Thursday, June 28, 2018, in Granite City, Ill. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
FILE - Molten iron is poured into a vessel as part of the process of producing steel at the U.S. Steel Granite City Works facility, Thursday, June 28, 2018, in Granite City, Ill. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
FILE - In this June 28, 2018 photo, senior melt operator Randy Feltmeyer watches a giant ladle as it backs away after pouring its contents of red-hot iron into a vessel in the basic oxygen furnace as part of the process of producing steel at the U.S. Steel Granite City Works facility in Granite City, Ill. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
David Burritt, the president and CEO of U.S. Steel, addresses members of the Detroit Economic club in Detroit, Michigan U.S., September 17, 2024. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

Overview

  • U.S. Steel says customer demand prompted the restart process at Granite City Works, with slab production planned to resume in the first half of 2026.
  • The company plans to hire and train about 400 workers and prepare idled equipment to return the facility to safe operating condition.
  • Granite City’s last blast furnace was shut in 2023, and a September plan to wind down the processing mill was reversed reportedly after White House pressure.
  • American Iron and Steel Institute data show October shipments at 7.7 million net tons, up 9% from a year earlier, with year-to-date volumes rising 5%.
  • The restart occurs under a national-security agreement tied to Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion purchase that gives the federal government input on domestic production, with Granite City protections running through 2027.