<article><p class="lead">Integrated steelmaker AK Steel is planning to restart the blast furnace at its flat-rolled steel mill in Dearborn, Michigan, in July to meet rising automotive demand. </p><p>The company told customers that it intends to restart its melt operations in the first half of July, according to market sources. The 2.2mn st/yr Dearborn mill provides steel primarily to the automotive industry. </p><p>Instead of making hot-rolled coils (HRC) on site, Dearborn's melt shop will produce slabs that will instead be sent to Cleveland-Cliff's Middletown Works north of Cincinnati for rolling.</p><p>AK Steel's parent company Cleveland-Cliffs did not immediately respond to a request for comment. </p><p>North American automakers and parts suppliers have been working since the end of April to restart the automotive supply chain after many idled production in mid-March as Covid-19-related shutdowns rippled across the US economy. Auto production for 2020 is expected to be <a href="https://metals.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2107254">reduced by 26pc to 12.25mn vehicles</a>, according to global automotive data company AutoForecast Solutions.</p><p>Cleveland-Cliffs also is speeding up its restart of its Tilden iron ore mine in Michigan in response to stronger than expected automotive demand.</p><p>The mine, which produced 7.7mn gross tons of iron ore pellets in 2019, was <a href="https://www.argusmedia.com/metals-platform/newsandanalysis/article/2096085-Cleveland-Cliffs-idles-2-US-iron-ore-mines">idled in mid-April</a> as multiple US blast furnaces were shut due to Covid-19-related demand shocks. </p><p class="bylines">By Rye Druzin</p></article>
