The Mexican unit of the Simec Group was integrated as one of the 10 primary steel producers integrated into the Mexican Chamber of the Iron and Steel Industry (Canacero). However, AHMSA was left off the list of members, according to data seen by SteelOrbis.
Simec Group is the controller of steel mills that together have a production capacity of 6.0 million metric tons (mt) in their operations in Mexico, US and Brazil. Of that total, 80 percent or 4.8 million mt are produced through electric arc furnaces (EAF) or mini-mill technology and the remaining 20 percent through blast furnaces.
Simec has a production capacity in Mexico of 2.6 million mt of crude steel in six mini-mills located in Guadalajara, Jalisco; Mexicali, Baja California; two in Apizaco, Tlaxcala, and in San Luis Potosí. The production capacity by country is with company data until 2022. In the United States it has a production capacity of 2.3 million mt and in Brazil 1.1 million mt.
In August of last year, Simec announced the definitive closure of two plants of its subsidiary Republic Steel in the United States: Canton, Ohio and Lackawanna, New York. Production moved to the Mexican state of Tlaxcala.
Now, the 10 steel producers affiliated with Canacero are: ArcelorMittal, DeAcero, Frisa Forjados, Gerdau Corsa, Grupo Acerero, Suacero, Tenaris TAMSA, Ternium, Talleres y Aceros (TYASA), and Simec Group.
According to information from the chamber, the steel giant Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) with a production capacity of 5.5 million mt annually, which has been paralyzed due to insolvency since January 2023, was left out of the list of members. It is currently in a process of legal restructuring with its creditors.