UAW approves new Stellantis, Ford contracts: update

Market: Metals, Petrochemicals
17/11/23

Adds UAW approving Ford contract

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has approved new contracts with US automakers Stellantis and Ford.

With more than 68pc of union members at both companies voting in favor, the new four-and-a-half year contracts secure a 25pc pay increase, a restoration of cost of living adjustments, and other concessions.

The news comes a day after auto rival General Motors (GM) also saw its UAW represented employees approve their new contract, which is largely mirrored across the three companies.

The Big 3 US automaker faced a six-week long strike across multiple facilities as the UAW used new tactics, including coordinated actions, to pressure the automakers to improve pay and other job benefits.

By Rye Druzin

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05/05/25

Australia's Labor win may aid low-carbon Fe, Al sectors

Sydney, 5 May (Argus) — The Australian Labor party's victory in the country's 3 May parliamentary election could support low-carbon iron and aluminium developers, providing policy clarity and public capital to the sectors. Labor's victory provides more certainty around Australia's A$14bn ($9.06bn) green hydrogen subsidy scheme, which will help steel producers transition towards hydrogen-powered steel furnaces. The opposition Coalition during the election pledged to scrap the programme, which will allow producers to claim A$2/t of green hydrogen produced from 2027. Australian steelmaker NeoSmelt and South Korean steelmaker Posco are developing electric iron smelters in Western Australia (WA) that produce hot-briquetted iron, which is used in the green steel process. Both projects will initially rely on natural gas but may transition to hydrogen-based processing as hydrogen production rises. Australia's hydrogen tax credits may prove crucial given ongoing hydrogen production challenges. South Australia's state government closed its Office of Hydrogen Power SA on 2 May, following a funding cut earlier this year. Labor can now also move forward with plans for A$2bn in low-emissions aluminium production credits, beginning in 2028-29. Smelters will be able to claim credits per tonne of low-carbon aluminium produced, based on their Scope 2 emission reductions. The party's proposal does not include any blanket credit for producers. Labor's aluminium production credits are aimed at supporting the Australian government's goal of doubling the country's share of renewable power from about 40pc to 82pc by 2030. Australian producers export about 1.5mn t/yr of aluminium, according to industry body Australian Aluminium Council, from four smelters located around the country. Green iron funding Labor's election win also secures its A$1bn lower-emission iron support pledge , first announced in late February. Half of the fund will go towards restarting and transitioning the 1.2mn t/yr Whyalla steelworks in South Australia into a green steel plant. The other half will support new and existing green iron and steel projects to overcome initial funding barriers. Labor has not allocated any funding through the programme yet. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Cliffs to idle 3 US steel mills this summer

02/05/25

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02/05/25

Cliffs to idle 3 US steel mills this summer

Houston, 2 May (Argus) — Integrated steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs will indefinitely idle its Conshohocken, Riverdale, and Steelton steel mills this summer in response to weak demand for the products produced at the mills. The idlings will impact about 950 workers spread across the 700,000 short ton (st)/yr Riverdale high-carbon coil mill in Illinois, the 500,000st/yr Conshohocken specialty plate mill in Pennsylvania and the 300,000st/yr Steelton, Pennsylvania railroad rail mill, a company spokesperson told Argus . Cliffs said the moves are temporary and will begin at the end of the required 60-day WARN notice periods in their respective states — on or about 30 June. By Marialuisa Rincon Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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US adds 177,000 jobs in April, jobless rate steady

02/05/25

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02/05/25

US adds 177,000 jobs in April, jobless rate steady

Houston, 2 May (Argus) — The US added 177,000 jobs in April, topping expectations, even as the new US administration's campaign of tariffs against allies and trading partners heightened business and consumer uncertainty. Economists surveyed by Trading Economics had forecast job gains of 130,000 for April. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2pc in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported. Job gains for March were revised lower by 43,000 to 185,000. The unexpectedly strong job report comes two days after the government reported the economy contracted at a 0.3pc annual rate in the first quarter, largely on a surge in imports as companies sought to build inventory ahead of the impacts of President Donald Trump's import tariffs. Consumer and business confidence have tumbled and economists have raised the odds of a US recession this year. US job gains averaged 152,000 in the 12 months prior to April. Federal government employment declined by 9,000 jobs in April and has fallen by 26,000 since January as mass federal layoffs take effect. Employees on paid leave or receiving severance pay are counted as employed, BLS said, so most of the announced federal job cuts do not yet show up in the data. Health care added 51,000 jobs in April, while transportation and warehousing added 29,000 jobs, more than double the average in the prior 12 months. Financial activities added 14,000 jobs. Construction added 11,000 jobs and manufacturing lost 1,000 jobs. Leisure and hospitality jobs grew by 24,000 and health care and social assistance added 78,000 jobs. Average hourly earnings rose by a 3.8pc annual rate, unchanged from the pace in March. By Bob Willis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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South Australia closes Hydrogen Power SA office

02/05/25

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02/05/25

South Australia closes Hydrogen Power SA office

Sydney, 2 May (Argus) — The state government of South Australia has rolled its Office of Hydrogen Power SA (OHPSA) into the Department of Energy and Mining (DEM), after scrapping plans for a 250MW electrolyser and 200MW hydrogen-fired power station. The OHPSA has been absorbed into the other state department, a spokesperson for SA energy minister Tom Koutsantonis said on 2 May. This comes after the state cut the A$593mn ($381mn) it had promised for its Hydrogen Jobs Plan in early 2025. The funds were reallocated to subsidise the 1.2mn t/yr Whyalla steelworks, which entered administration on 19 February . The associated Office of Northern Water Delivery, which was intended to support the green hydrogen sector in the state's upper Spencer Gulf region with new water pipeline supply, has also been incorporated within the DEM, Koutsantonis said on 1 May. SA's other major hydrogen hub planned at nearby Port Bonython was also overseen by the OHPSA. Development agreements with five companies have been signed for Port Bonython, including with London-based energy company Zero Petroleum for an e-SAF plant . SA is aiming to transition the ageing Whyalla steelworks to develop low emissions iron and steel products, but administrator KordaMentha is yet to finalise a buyer for Whyalla's controlling company OneSteel, which was formerly owned by UK-based GFG Alliance. By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Australia's Coalition eyes power, resource funding cuts

02/05/25

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02/05/25

Australia's Coalition eyes power, resource funding cuts

Sydney, 2 May (Argus) — Australia's federal Coalition opposition has announced it will cut key energy rebates and resource sector subsidies, if elected on 3 May, to reduce forecast future budget deficits. The Peter Dutton-led opposition will cut programs, including the Labor government's A$20bn ($12.8bn) Rewiring the Nation transmission plan, and the A$15bn National Reconstruction Fund aimed at underwriting green manufacturing using domestic minerals. It will also unwind electric vehicle tax concessions to save A$3.2bn, and cancel planned production tax credits for critical minerals processing and green hydrogen estimated to cost A$14.7bn. Combined savings measures will improve the budget's position by A$13.9bn over the four years to 2028-29, the Coalition said on 1 May, cutting debt by A$40bn during the same timeframe. The announcement comes as opinion polls show Australia's next federal government is likely to force one of the two major parties into minority, after a campaign where cost-of-living relief promises have trumped economic reform policy. The centre-left Labor party is more likely than the conservative Coalition to form government at the 3 May poll. It holds a thin majority of just three seats in parliament's main chamber, the House of Representatives, meaning a swing against it would force it to deal with minor parties such as the Greens and independent groupings. Promising a stable government, as Australia emerged from Covid-19, Labor had benefited from a resources boom as Russia's invasion of Ukraine led LNG and coal receipts to skyrocket and China's emergence from lockdowns revitalised its demand for iron ore, which jointly form the nation's main commodity exports. But as markets adjust to a period of protectionist trade policy and predictions of a slowdown in global growth abound, economists have criticised the major parties' reluctance to embrace major reform on areas such as taxation, while continuing to spend at elevated levels post-pandemic. Australia's resource and energy commodity exports are forecast to fall to A$387bn in the fiscal year to 30 June 2025 from A$415bn in 2023–24. The Office of the Chief Economist is predicting further falls over the next five years, reaching A$343bn in 2029-30, lowering expected government revenue from company tax and royalties. Gas The Coalition has pledged a domestic reservation scheme for the east coast, forcing 50-100PJ (1.34bn-2.68bn m³/yr) into the grid by penalising spot LNG cargoes. Australia's upstream lobby has opposed this, but rapidly declining reserves offshore Victoria state mean gas may need to be imported to the nation's south, depending on the success of electrification efforts and an uncertain timeline for coal-fired power retirements. Labor has resisted such further gas interventions , but it is unclear how it will reverse a trend of rising gas prices and diminishing domestic supply, despite releasing a future gas plan last year. The party is promising 82pc renewables nationally by 2030, meaning it will have to nearly double the 2025 year-to-date figure of 42pc. This could require 15GW of gas-fired capacity by 2050 to firm the grid. On environmental policy, narrowing polls mean Labor's likely partners in government could be the anti-fossil fuel Greens and climate-focused independents — just some of the present crossbench of 16 out of a parliament of 151. The crossbench may drive a climate trigger requirement in any changes to environmental assessments, which could rule out new or brownfield coal and gas projects. Coal has been conspicuously absent from policy debates, but Labor has criticised the Coalition's nuclear energy policy as expensive and unproven, while the Coalition has said Labor's renewables-led grid would be unstable and costly because of new transmission requirements. The impact of the US tariff shock that dominated opening days of the month-long election campaign remains unclear. Unlike Canada, Australia is yet to be directly targeted by US president Trump's rhetoric on trade balances and barriers. But the global unease that has set in could assist Labor's prime minister Anthony Albanese, as he presents an image of continuity in an uncertain world economy. Australia's main exposure to Trump tariffs is via China, its largest trading partner and destination for about 35pc of exports, including metal concentrates, ores, coal and LNG. A downturn in the world's largest manufacturer would spell difficult times ahead for Australia, as it grapples with balancing its budget in a normalising commodity market. By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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