Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., announces that Nucor-JFE Steel Mexico has begun operating its continuous galvanizing line, which will produce hot-dip galvanized sheet steel for the automotive market.
“We are excited to expand our presence in Mexico and to use our local sales network to increase our sales into this important automotive market,” said Leon Topalian, President and CEO of Nucor. “We are proud to partner with JFE Steel Corporation of Japan, and to benefit from its experience as a premier supplier of high-quality products to the automotive industry.”
The hot-dip galvanized sheet steel facility has a production capacity of 400,000 tons annually. It can produce sheet thickness from 0.4 mm to 2.6 mm and widths of 800 mm to 1850 mm. Nucor-JFE has begun trial production and will move towards full-scale sales and production once customer approvals have been obtained.
Nucor-JFE is well-positioned to serve the large number of automakers who have built facilities in central Mexico. Automotive production in Mexico is expected to continue to grow, and the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) increases the amount of North American content required in cars and trucks to avoid tariffs imposed by the United States. Nucor and JFE will each supply an equal amount of substrate to be processed at the new facility.
