by , Jeff Yoders on JUNE 10, 2016
Steel shipments from the U.S. were largely unchanged from March to April and Brazilian police have alleged negligence was responsible for the Samarco disaster.
AISI Reports April Steel Shipments
The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported today that for the month of April, U.S. steel mills shipped 7,379,330 net tons, a very small increase of 0.03% from the 7,377,392 nt shipped in March, and a 4.1% increase from the 7,087,864 nt shipped in April 2015. Shipments on the year-to-date are 28,847,471 nt, a 0.7% decrease vs. 2015 shipments of 29,046,995 nt for four months.
A comparison of April shipments to March’s shows the following changes: hot-rolled sheets, up 2%, cold-rolled sheets, up 2% and hot-dipped galvanized sheets and strip, down 2%.
Brazilian Police: Samarco Dam Was a Disaster Waiting to Happen
Brazil’s federal police, on Thursday, accuse mining company Samarco, a joint venture between Vale SA and BHP Billiton, of willful misconduct in relation to a deadly dam burst last November, saying the company had ignored clear signs the dam was at risk of collapsing.
Police said Samarco had skimmed on safety spending, focusing instead on increasing production despite obvious indications, such as cracks, that the dam was in danger of a breach.
Source: MetalMiner