Tin production will return to Northwest Indiana, and with it 225 jobs, as U.S. Steel plans to restart its tin mill at Gary Works, the company announced Thursday.
The steel giant’s parent company, Nippon Steel of Japan, is set to spend $15 million to $20 million to restart the Gary tin mill, U.S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt said in a release April 16. The company idled the mill and laid off more than 240 workers in late 2022 after cheap imports glutted the market, the Post-Tribune previously reported.
“Customers are increasingly focused on securing dependable domestic supply they can count on over the long term,” Burritt said. “Restarting the Gary Tin Mill positions us to serve that demand, support domestic manufacturing, and strengthen critical U.S. supply chains — including those that help support American farmers and food producers — provided trade is fair and enforced.”
Toward the enforcement end, U. S. Steel, along with the United Steelworkers, “filed antidumping duty (AD) petitions against imports of tin and chromium coated sheet steel (“tin mill products”) from China, Taiwan, and Turkey and a countervailing duty (CVD) petition against subsidized imports of tin mill products from China,” the release said.
Northwest Indiana dignitaries celebrated the announcement after it was made. Gary Mayor Eddie Melton, called the move “a great step forward for our city, our local workforce, and the broader American manufacturing industry.”
“As we look toward the Gary Tin Mill becoming fully operational in early 2027, my administration is eager to work closely with U.S. Steel and our local workforce development agencies,” he said. “We are fully committed to preparing Gary residents for the jobs associated with this project, ensuring that our community is equipped, trained, and first in line to step into these essential roles.”
Indiana State Representative Carolyn B. Jackson, D-Hammond, also welcomed the announcement.
“This is exactly the kind of investment our community deserves,” Jackson said. “These good-paying jobs at Gary Works mean 225 more families in Northwest Indiana with the stability and security they need. I’m proud to see Gary continue to be a hub for American manufacturing, and I’ll keep fighting at the Statehouse to make sure our workers and our Region get every opportunity to thrive.”
U.S. Steel previously idled its No. 5 tin line at Gary Works and the East Chicago Tin finishing plant in East Chicago, laying off 150 workers in 2019, the Chicago Tribune previously reported. Before that, the tin mill was idled in 2015.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
