US Steel is blaming unfairly traded tubular products imported into the USA as a chief reason behind the company's decision to indefinitely idle two ofits tubular manufacturing facilities in McKeesport, PA, and Bellville in Texas.
The move, which will take place in early August, will directly impact upon 260 US Steel employees and will reduce the number of US Steel's tubular facilities from 10 to 8. It will, however, enable the company to operate more profitably.US Steel will continue to produce and finish tubular products at its facilities in Alabama, Arkansas, Ohio and Texas where it employs approximately 2,900 employees.
According to a press release issued by the company, "approximately 45 professional and management employees and 215 represented employees were advised today of the upcoming idling and resulting job reductions and are being issued notices under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act."
Mario Longhi, US Steel's CEO, said that the company remained fully committed to the tubular products business and to serving its tubular customers. "While these are difficult decisions, they are necessary in order to return our company to sustainable profitability and position us for future growth," he said, adding that the company would continue to fight unfair trade by foreign competitors.
U. S. Steel – along with other domestic producers – has filed an anti-dumping action with the US Department of Commerce to halt the unfair trading and dumping of foreign Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) into the American market.