Brazil-based integrated steelmaker Gerdau has resumed melting and rolling operations at its Fort Smith, Arkansas facility on Saturday, March 28, the company told SteelOrbis in an emailed response on Monday.
“We strongly believe the best way to conduct ourselves during this crisis is to continuously adapt to the ever-evolving conditions,” said Rodrigo Belloc, president of Gerdau Special Steel North America.
Gerdau said all of its North America specialty steel finishing and shipping departments, as well as its heat-treating facility in Huntington, Indiana, “continue to operate as needed to fulfill current customer orders.”
Gerdau added it will continue assessing market conditions to “determine” the appropriate time to restart its melting and rolling operations in Michigan.
Gerdau halted operations at its Peruvian subsidiary, Siderperu, as well as in Argentina, where it owns Sipar Gerdau Inversiones S.A., a long steel rolling mill in the province of Santa Fe.