According to industry sources on June 15, Sebang Lithium Battery will establish a local subsidiary in Ohio, the United States, and handle production of grid-scale ESS battery modules for LG Energy Solution. The order is valued at KRW 1.8 trillion, with revenue expected to begin from the fourth quarter of this year.

【SMM Steel】JSW Steel's May consolidated crude steel output rose 15% y-o-y to 2.29 million tonnes driven by full operations at its Dolvi facility which had planned maintenance last year and the complete ramp-up at JVML. Domestic output rose to 2.19 million tonnes from 1.9 million tonnes while its US Ohio plant output climbed 20% to 95000 tonnes. Excluding the ongoing shutdown of BF3 at Vijayanagar for expansion domestic capacity utilization reached approximately 98%. JSW Steel had reported April crude steel output of 2.12 million tonnes down 1% y-o-y.

Thyssenkrupp Automotive Technology has announced it will close its Terre Haute, Indiana facility — operated by thyssenkrupp Presta North America and employing around 230 people — by March 31, 2027. U.S. chassis operations will be consolidated at the Hamilton, Ohio plant run by thyssenkrupp Bilstein of America. The company said the closure will be phased to ensure uninterrupted customer supply. COO Viktor Molnar framed the move as a step toward more flexible and cost-efficient production structures amid ongoing transformation in the automotive industry.

【SMM Steel】India's JSW Steel reported consolidated crude steel production of 2.118 million tonnes in April, down 1% from 2.14 million tonnes a year earlier. Indian operations contributed 2.04 million tonnes, down 1% y-o-y, while its Ohio facility in the US produced 78,000 tonnes, down 7% y-o-y. The decline was primarily due to the shutdown of Blast Furnace 3 at Vijayanagar for a capacity upgrade, which is expected to restart in Q4 2026. Excluding BF3 from last year's base, production growth was approximately 10%.

JSW Steel delivered record production and sales in FY2024-25, but weaker steel realizations dragged down revenue and margins, creating a clear growth paradox: higher volumes but lower earnings quality. As India’s largest steelmaker, JSW’s next challenge is to turn its scale into more resilient earnings through higher VASP contribution, stronger raw material security, selective overseas improvement, technology partnerships, and decarbonization readiness.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Imerys announced on April 10, 2026, a binding agreement to acquire Great Lakes Minerals, a major U.S. processor and distributor of calcined bauxite, mullite, and fused alumina for the refractory and abrasive industries. The acquisition strengthens Imerys’ position in North America, supported by strategic assets along the Ohio River in Kentucky with efficient barge-to-plant logistics. It is expected to generate approximately $80 million in annual revenue post-integration and benefit from ongoing industrial reshoring in the USA. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to standard conditions.

Cleveland-Cliffs officially confirmed in late March 2026 that it has abandoned plans to replace a traditional coal-based blast furnace at its Middletown Works in Ohio with a hydrogen-ready direct reduced iron (DRI) facility. Despite previously winning a $500 million federal grant for the project, the steelmaker has pivoted back to refurbishing its existing blast furnace infrastructure, citing economic feasibility and shifting energy priorities. This decision maintains the site's reliance on metallurgical coke and coal, highlighting the challenges facing the U.S. steel industry's transition toward "green steel" technologies.

US rare earth company REalloys announced that it is partnering with the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) of Canada to build a heavy rare earth metal facility. The equipment will be built at SRC’s Saskatoon plant and, after commissioning, relocated to Ohio to supply dysprosium and terbium to clients in the US defense industrial base and to the Defense Logistics Agency’s strategic reserves. The facility will cost $40 million and is expected to produce 30 mt of dysprosium metal and 15 mt of terbium metal annually. Initial operations are targeted for early to mid-2027, with full commercial operations expected from mid-2027 to year-end.

[SMM Steel] India’s JSW Steel reported crude steel production of 2.37 million tonnes in February 2026, down 2% YoY from 2.41 mt, mainly due to the shutdown of Blast Furnace 3 at the Vijayanagar plant for capacity upgrades since September 2025. Excluding this unit, production increased around 8% YoY, supported by operations at JSW Vijayanagar Metallics Limited. India operations produced 2.31 mt, down 1% YoY, with capacity utilization at 97% excluding BF3 (88% including BF3). Meanwhile, US output fell 20% YoY to 60,000 tonnes, impacted by caster upgrades and severe winter weather affecting operations in Ohio.

Johnson Matthey, in North America (e.g., refineries in Michigan and New Jersey), increased the yield and throughput of high-purity platinum and palladium (purity of 99.99%+) by optimizing solvent extraction and electrolysis purification processes and upgrading automation, in order to address the tight supply of raw materials from South Africa and Russia. BASF, in North America (e.g., sites in Michigan and Ohio), focused on improving the efficiency of secondary refining of platinum and palladium as well as catalyst regeneration, while expanding capacity for high-purity platinum and palladium salts and sponge, in order to offset the impact of restricted imports of Russian platinum group metals (PGMs) and production cuts at South African mines.