U.S. Steel to close pipe mill

No. 6 line idled since March 2015

United States Steel Corp. will close one of the manufacturing lines at its Lorain Tubular Operations.

The section known as the No. 6 Quench & Temper Mill will close permanently by June 8, according to the company. U.S. Steel on March 10 informed United Steel Workers Local 1104 of the closure.

“This proposed action is a strategic decision for the company after considering a number of factors, including challenging market conditions for tubular products and unfairly traded imports,” said a statement from U.S. Steel spokeswoman Erin DiPietro.

The No. 6 line has been idled since March 2015, and before that it operated on an infrequent basis, according to U.S. Steel.

The permanent closure will not affect employees who have been on layoff since it was idled in March 2015, DiPietro said. The company still has 58 workers on layoff from the earlier idling of the No. 6 line.

The No. 6 Q&T Mill was capable of processing seamless tubular products primarily for the energy industry, according to U.S. Steel.

The news is another blow to Lorain, said state Rep. Dan Ramos, D-Lorain. He said he first heard about the line closure on March 10.

In Washington, a few lawmakers such as Sen. Sherrod Brown have championed the American steel industry, Ramos said. But

The section known as the No. 6 Quench & Temper Mill will close permanently by June 8, according to the company. U.S. Steel on March 10 informed United Steel Workers Local 1104 of the closure.

the national leaders largely have ignored unfair foreign competition that “dumps” steel, selling it for below the cost of production and undercutting domestic steel.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” Ramos said. “It’s disappointing in general, but it’s also disappointing that this was supposed to be President Trump’s number one priority, saving American jobs and saving them from foreign trade.”

Ramos said he aims to write to the White House to inform the president about the situation in Lorain.

“If he wants to make America first, maybe he can start with steel,” Ramos said. “I hope he knows we need to do something.”

No. 6 line made pipe with outside diameters ranging from 2 3/8 inches to 7 5/8 inches, with wall thicknesses of up to .812 inches and a maximum length of 48 feet.

Pipe that is to be quenched and tempered is heated to 1,550 degrees in a furnace, then cooled with an outside diameter water quench to below 200 degrees. The pipe then undergoes various testing and end finishing processes prior to shipping, according to U.S. Steel.