The iron ore from Minnesota combined with a new steel works in Iowa. GOOD STUFF!
Today, President Donald J. Trump announced one of the largest steel plants in American history: a $15 billion Mesabi Metallics mill in Iowa. The project will create 1,750 permanent Iowa jobs, support up to 6,000 construction jobs, and is projected to add $95 billion to the U.S. economy over the next decade.
The mill will produce 7.5 million tons of steel per year in its first phase, rising to about ten million tons, using iron ore from Mesabi Metallics’ newly opened Minnesota mine — the first new iron ore mine in the United States in 50 years. {MORE}
The Question and Answer session begins at 22:40. WATCH:
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Posted in Donald Trump, Economy, Election 2026, energy, EPA, President Trump, Trade Deal, Uncategorized
Wow! What I voted for. A president more interested in outcomes than winning arguments.
Wow indeed!
Agree. Now extend to electric power transmission, nuclear power, and more refineries.
He does both.
Excellent! More please!
“With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty…” The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Gordon Lightfoot 1975
Sorry, Sundance, great story, but these were honestly the very first words that hit my mind before I could even finish reading it!
Gordon Lightfoot.
Back when a Canadian could sing a popular song about an American ship and American steel. And American men.
Well, the Guess Who did American Woman, so I guess that doesn’t count?
Good tune but that is an anti – American song.
not anti – American…… anti – War!
A little bit of both actually.
Dexter, thank you for clarifying the lyrics, and intension of the song.
The Guess Who, who got booed off the stage and had to run for their lives at a concert in Seattle, WA that I was at because of that song. It was glorious!
November 10th, 1975… every Merchant Marine knows where they were when they heard the news.
This kid remembers where she was…with her Merchant Marine dad….and dad had two fears, an engine room fire…and the one he never spoke of…but once, when he had to’ abandon ship’…
WE need ship builders, much like William Francis Gibbs:
“The SS United States was designed by William Francis Gibbs, a renowned American naval architect and marine engineer.
Gibbs, whose firm Gibbs & Cox designed over 60% of U.S. heavy armored ships during World War II, created the liner as a luxury passenger vessel that could also be rapidly converted into a troop transport. “
Glad you’re on our ship, Aggiegirl! Lightfoot certainly brought that tragedy to national attention although I’m not sure many listeners really understood what events unfolded that sad day.
My FIL was in the Norwegian Merchant Marine during WWII – left his homeland as a 17 year old in 1939 and didn’t return until 1946…couldn’t come back during the occupation, when one brother died and another was taken prisoner for being part of the Resistance. The stories he told of his seven years sailing the seven seas (including doing the Murmansk run TWICE) were spellbinding!
Kudos to your dad – the Merchant Marines don’t get enough credit for what they do – tough men doing HARD work, with very little recognition!
The father of a lady I used to work with was supposed to be on the Fitzgerald the night it sank, but a co-worker whose family lived in Michigan (I believe) was going to go on vacation and he traded the shift (going out of Duluth, MN) so the man’s family wouldn’t have to drive all the way to Duluth to pick him up for their family vacation.
Talk about the ‘Fickle finger of fate’.
The day after the Fitz went down, I was helping a friend deliver newspapers on his route which included houses along Lake Superior. The waves were still 20 foot swells from trough to crest and when they hit the 30 foot cliff face behind one of the houses, the water shot 20 plus feet above the lawn.
The ship went down so fast that it was on the radar of another ship on one sweep and gone on the next. The captain said they had water coming in, but I don’t think they ever made an actual distress call.
So very sad for all those families who lost a family member. And for years afterward, they were reminded of their grief by Lightfoot’s song on the radio.
I understand that this ‘Fitzgerald’ comment echoes an unpleasant memory. But to me, living in the other hemisphere, the words of President Trump sound like the joyful peal of the church bells at the Christian Resurrection Service. The Trumpean Industrial Developement WILL produce REAL wealth, lessening the impact of the parasitic national debt, helping the later elimination of the exclusive privilege of the fed, of issuing and lending to the States their own money… ”Jobs, jobs, jobs !”, he promised in 2015…and he continuously delivers !
Kind of depressing, I was too young to remember, so I looked up planned shipping methods…railroad and barge down the Mississippi.
These are the obvious shipping methods, since Iowa nowhere abuts Lake Superior (or any of the Great Lakes), but is contiguous with Minnesota to the south.
My thoughts too as the railroad link from mine to Iowa cuts out the lake freighters and will run 12 months of the year. It will most likely be a BNSF line feeding Warren Buffets pockets. Smart move except for the lakers.
I can think of no reason to involve any of the Great Lakes, as Iowa shares a border with Minnesota directly to the south.
Lake Superior, Whitefish point Mi.
the water is cold
Visited there with Navy WWII veteran, 15 years ago for his 80th birthday
Humbling, reality
I whistled the song…in memory…
Now let’s talk about the robotics and AI logistics that will be involved in this plant production. No one wants to talk about this. Tick tock
SI will support labor and make it super productive. Much higher paying than the old steel mills from 75 years ago. 100% good news. No worries.
Yes, highly automated just like automobile plants.
BETTER THAN the INJURIES that Plagued the OLD PLANTS
ie.
The Story that My Mother Told of HER MOTHER Caring for the Recovery of a Man that Had MOLTEN IRON Poured
” In His Boot ” and the amount of Effort in His Recovery so He COULD Work Again.
Grand Ma did NOT Talk About IT to us Kids –
She DID IT to HELP and Because My GrandPa Worked at the Plant with the Man.
I talked to an active Indiana auto worker last May.
When a ‘robot’ stalls, jams up,
and needs maintenance,
there are many idle people in the plant…
while awaiting
a robot ( or its software or both)
repair person to fix the robot.
[ not enough specialized robot repair persons ].
Notice he said he plant will produce steel that is cost competitive with what China can produce. Technology is one way of supporting that goal.
The project will create 1,750 permanent Iowa jobs. But 50 years ago it could have been 5000 jobs, right John?
Isn’t the steel company an Indian owned company?
What could possibly go wrong?/s
If the question isn’t rhetorical, every single employee will be Indian, because they only hire their own.
The new visa restrictions should mitigate that problem considerably. Don’t forget about that.
My thoughts too, Mesabi Metallics is owned by Essar Group a major Indian multinational conglomerate. I did online searches because I was interested in just who the owners would be. Will have to see if they H1B visas for steel mill or mining jobs
I would think that after they built the plant in America, the Indian workers would train American workers. After which, the Indians would return ‘home.’ This benefits American worker’s employment, and gives the Indians a tariff free presence into our market — both of us win.
You’re implying we should stick to the 20th century way of fashioning steel the? How’d that work out for us pray tell? SMH
A new steel plant is news that wins elections.
LOL…….what a timeline to be alive.
Sort of on topic…. Did you see what Kemp did in Georgia? Repealed the state tax on gas and diesel for the next 30 days.
THAT is something else Republican governors can do to lower costs until after the election and get people in a better mood.
It will be interesting to see where one of the messiest parts of the steel making process, Coke is made.
The US has the coal but the process is messy and will be costly to avoid the real pollution issues with the process of making coke. This will require a major capital investment to build up Coke plants.
I grew up near the Coke Plants in Southwestern PA .. it was not pleasant to say the least.
This will also require other processed minerals such as limestone.
Allot of peripheral benefits to industries that supply the other ingredients needed to make steel as well as the special alloys of steel needed for industry and defense.
Yes, and the local residents who are having meltdowns over a data center nearby are going to welcome a steel mill with open arms?
Depends on the processes used to actually make the steel and coke.
Even in the 1970’s the Germans and Japanese had already started perfecting “clean processes” for producing steel and coke. One of the major dirty secrets in the US was the cost to pay the Unions combined with the need to compete with subsidized German, Argentine, Brazilian and Japanese Steel Producers.
The reason all those filthy mills along the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers in Southwestern PA ran so dirty using “older processes” was the capital cost to the owners to invest, cost to pay union workers and comply with emerging clean air standards as they competed vs subsidized foreign competitors, who were also modernizing.
This is a “Japanese Process” Plant, which means it is likely to run very very clean for metal producing factory.
Correct Doc! I worked those Mon Valley mills! Irvin Works supplied Fisher Body with their steel for cars and many other industries. Christy Park Works made bombs, National Tube Works made a whole host of varieties of steel, Clairton Coke works made the coke, Duquesne, and Homestead, and Braddock contributing. It ended up cheaper to build a newer mill than convert the old mills to environmental standards, thus we became the rust belt!
National Tube was primarily pipe. I fished those rivers.
We taught the Japanese how to make steel (post WW11) and they taught us how to do it better and cheaper.
The Clairton Coke Works (outside of Pittsburgh) is the largest coking operation in North America, and possibly the world. The 392-acre facility has operated since the beginning of the 20th century and is capable of producing 4.7 million tons of coke annually in its nine batteries. It can easily be transported by a combination of barge and rail to Iowa. I grew up very near there and have the lungs to show for it.
I can sympathize.
I grew up North of you, near Beaver Falls, PA.
Coke not used in these new processes. Much cleaner
There will be plenty of petroleum coke I suspect in the near future in addition to the coke made from high grade anthracite.
Turns out that one can create more than a fair bit of petroleum coke out of the residuals left from refining the heavy sour crude from either Venezuela or Canada.
Having options for industry will open up the possibilities.
Soft coal (Bituminous) was easier and cheaper than Anthracite (hard coal)) for coke. Anthracite burned hotter though. Lots of pollution back then, as a kid, we never ate snow in the winter, LOL.
New Carlisle Indiana Mill was Originally Owned by the Japanese – NOW Owned by Cleveland Cliffs
HAS BEEN ” CLEAN ” by Mill Standards.
https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/operations/steelmaking/newcarlisle
i Judge the HEALTH of The Economy by the Number of STEEL TRAINS and Tanker Cars going by.
Geneva Steel in the Salt Lake valley got its metallurgical coal from Soldier Summit, thirty miles away. When EPA shut down the coke plant the coal was shipped to Japan to be coked then shipped back to Utah to be burned. I asked the same question above about the energy.
“Did someone say coke???” – Zelenskyy
And Hunter said, “Yes”!
I heard it was going to be fueled by natural gas.
I did too, I remember the afternoon sun being blocked by the smog! Lots of friends made good money working the mills! For awhile, Pittsburgh was the steel capital of the world. McKeesport, Pa. was labeled “Boomtown USA. Oh the memories!
The newly announced $15 billion mega-steel plant in Lee County, Southeast Iowa, will utilize highly efficient, environmentally sustainable Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) and Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technologies.
Neither process uses Coke.
Making steel requires anthracite (hard) coal, as I recall. The U.S. does have it, although President Clinton turned one area where it used to be mined into a national park, effectively shutting that mine down. He did it as a favor for one of his big, Indonesian donors.
The United Kingdom is down to one blast furnace, with efforts being made to close that remaining one down. They had a hundred or more during World War Two. Their goose is cooked.
Who cares about England? If you follow Promethean action, you see how the English have tried to destroy America for centuries and that excludes EU.
They’ve had a hard on against us since 1776!
EPA does that!
This is fantastic! Great job President Trump and Project Team!
Prayers it actually gets built and produces. These things take a long time and that means any of a hundred parties can stop it.
I live less than 5 miles from the largest hole in the ground ever: the Ohio Intel fabs. Was supposed to start ops this year and there is not even a whisper as to when it’s a go. Billions in tax subsidies and yet zero return.
looks pretty solid.
Mesabi Metallics is owned by Essar Group,
an Indian multinational conglomerate company.
although privately held, as of 2022 total assets of Essar Group
are estimated at U.S. $6.6 Billion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essar_Group
How many H1Bs will they import for the jobs “Americans won’t do”.
I’m not trying to pee on the parade. Just live in realville. I remember when the Keystonw pipelines were announced and here we are 20 years later and oil still not flowing.
When your biggest donor owns BNSF and stands to lose revenue if Keystone is completed, you auto-pen cancel that project your first day on the job.
Whaddya bet BH stock jumped that day?
Very astute.
Can’t disagree with you. The reality is that allot of this hinged upon Presidential Executive Orders removing regulations, rewriting interpretations of regulations (i.e. mainly by the EPA) … with zero support from Congressional Legislation and likely little support from State Governments.
It only took the JoeBama Auto Pen and Blue State Governments 4-years to wreck every thing after recording historical levels of performance by 2020 .. down to new all time lows because they were not backed nor protected by Federal Legislation.
BuckNut, sorry to hear that promised jobs haven’t been realized there. Hope it gets going soon.
A bit of hope to offer.
All the regulations that got trashed were based on risks of the last 200 years, not modern manufacturing processes.
We’re not going to do manufacturing like China or India, it’s bad for business to injure or expose employees to harmful chemicals or processes. Businesses will have to cover medical costs and will be subject to civil suits with damages due.
Any new regs by a Dem administration will be subject to the courts, etc., before being implemented so I have some hope that we won’t go directly back to the globalist ways immediately. I hate it, but the Trump terms have really shown the powers and limits of the office through the lawfair they’ve endured. All future Pres will have the same limits and powers.
1750 jobs and quadruple or more the impact of those jobs. Those people can vote too.
I just flew back from the Buckeyes game yesterday. They’re building a new modern International Airport from scratch. The amount of progress since last year when it didn’t even seem to have been started is amazing.
This is getting zero coverage in national media.
Additionally IAH has been under construction or renovation for what feels like 5 years
THIS Complex ?
https://www.dispatch.com/picture-gallery/business/2026/08/28/aerial-views-of-the-new-albany-international-business-park/91351100007/
i Pass a Center on the Southside on US 23 by the Gravel Pit
There is an incredible live video report in this Tweet below.
WHAT a juxtaposition within one media segment. Canada losing 500 steel jobs due to Chinese imports, while President Trump announces building America’s largest steel mill in Iowa due to blocking Chinese imports. Seriously. WATCH:
I live 15mins away from that plant. The Hamilton voter is about as far left as you can get! During election years it is soul sucking to drive and see the swaths of red and orange (liberal and NDP) election yard signs.
Sorry Hamilton! You get what you vote for!
Interesting is that I am seeing a huge spike in users watching conservative Podcasts and YouTube channels.
Hopefully this is a sign that Canadians are finally aware of our corrupt media.
Better still would be to see Americans tune in to see what voting Democrat in the mid terms will do to their country.
President Trump’s entire campaign strategy should be to expose life in Canada under liberal rule. It is dreadful!
DD
Yes it is ! I have a client that became an American several years ago and sold her last house up there . The new owner asked that she have the tenant leave to close the sales . She gave proper notice sold the house then the tenant came back and sued her for having to move and she lost in court to a nasty success hating judge and also had to pay big capital gains taxes on top . She HATES the country she was born in !
While good news, I’m still digesting the ownership here:
Mesabi Metallics is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Essar Group, an India-based multinational conglomerate. The Essar Group provides the primary financial backing for Mesabi Metallics’ operations in Minnesota and its planned $15 billion steel plant in Iowa. News sources confirm the ownership remains with Essar Group, chaired by Indian national Rewant Ruia.
Well, Drat! I’m pretty sure there are enough tech billionaires to fund this project, completely American Made!
Why don’t they step up and buy out Mesabi, or start another mine and build their own mill?
Damned dot Indians…… damn them……
Yes, I’ve worked with them…
Our president is securing foreign investment from Japanese steel as well. I’m all for any money coming into the country that provides jobs and grows GDP.
US Steel is owned by Nippon Steel .
The one question will be the H1b visas. Currently that is blocked if I read the latest news but who knows when the time comes for hiring.
H1B visas are now very, very expensive and have a lot of new restrictions and requirements. Just importing hordes of workers will be less attractive in a number of ways. For now, at least…
There he goes, trying to meddle in the election.
This is impeachable, no?
Minnesota’s leaders do not deserve this good fortune heaped on them.
I hope they don’t screw it up because it was done by President Trump.
Unfortunately, that is the closest iron ore mines you are going to get. Plus it is owned by the same company building the steel mill. If they built the steel mill in Minnesota, then I would agree with you.
Rebuild the U.S.Navy. Need that steel.
Going to need lots of steel to build the new BBGNs. Affectionately named, Trump Class battleships.
Lots of potential for a good capital ship with near term technologies in mind.
This is very interesting, Lee County is a stones throw from where I live.
And, yes, if this comes together, wow!
Owned by India and probably run by indians. We need American owned production.
I guess you can’t please everyone.
Meanwhile in the globalist, green, socialist utopia in Canada, the politicians bet on EV battery production, and despite billions of taxpayer dollars, all projects are ”delayed”(will likely walk away)or cancelled.
The federal and provincial governments of Canada and Ontario have pledged up to $52.5 billion in combined financial support to secure major Electric Vehicle (EV) battery plants and supply chain facilities.
This public funding includes a mix of upfront capital grants, provincial incentives, tax credits, and massive production subsidies.
Overview of Major EV Plant Subsidies
The following table breaks down the public funding committed to the three primary EV manufacturing giants in Ontario:
Key Milestones (as of 2026)Volkswagen (PowerCo) (St. Thomas, ON)Up to $14.4 billion• $700 million capital grant
• Up to $13 billion in production subsidies• $500 million capital grant.
In September 2026, Volkswagen announced a 2-year delay, pushing the facility’s opening to 2029 to align with evolving market demand.
Stellantis & LG Energy Solution (NextStar Energy) (Windsor, ON)Up to $15.5 billion• Up to $500 million via Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF)
• Two-thirds of a $15 billion production subsidy• One-third of the $15 billion production subsidy (~$5 billion)
Stellantis was placed in default by Canada on separate retooling contracts, raising questions about production-linked thresholds for the NextStar facility.
Honda Canada (Alliston, ON)Up to $5.0 billion• ~$2.5 billion in Clean Technology Manufacturing and EV Supply Chain Tax Credits• ~$2.5 billion in direct and indirect incentives.
Following a global EV market slowdown, Honda indefinitely suspended or postponed work on the comprehensive supply chain expansion.
I think you left out Ford, GM and Toyota, unless they didn’t get any subsidies
So, it must be a consolidated steel mill and not an arc furnace mill? Where is the coke coming from? I see river shipping of iron ore and limestone but where is the metallurgical coal?
Lots of coal under Iowa, not metallurgical however.
1. The timing of this is suspect, so close to the midterms.
2. They’re saying steelmaking at the plant could begin as early as 2030 – we all know these projects are never ready on time. So realistically, we are probably 5 years off, which is far enough into the future to do a rug pull.
This smells like the $5,000 checks he recently promised.
Wipper snapper
You don’t have to cry. Just root against it quietly so it’s not so painful when it happens.
More bitching and complaining from the “You can’t please everyone” crowd.
We shall see. In the meantime, though, I’ll be pleased if it all happens.
Canadian government also spent our money on the largest cricket farm expecting us to eat the bugs.
Nobody ever faces any consequences.
Wonder how many somali learing centers are being funded in Canada
https://farmersforum.com/cricket-factory-sold-taxpayers-poured-35-million-into-massive-failure/
A foreign-owned company. Not good.
I hope it’s not more jobs for illegals or H1Bs.
Once again–H1B visas are now extremely expensive and restricted. I don’t think this got the news coverage it deserved.
I hate to be a Debbie Downer. I watched and funded Essar Steel before they went bankrupt. Half ownership of Mesabi Mettalics is the same company from India….Essar Steel. I know many people working there.
Mesabi Mettalics has a BIG land problem. Cleveland Cliffs and US Steel own the majority of the ore producing land and State of Minnesota takes years to get a land lease. So much red tape that companies go broke or give up trying to get land.
Why wouldn’t CC sell them ore?
Another interesting tidbit is that there is a munitions plant in the next county north of Lee County.
GOAT POTUS! 100%!
Not good. Every farm and ranch will be contaminated in no time at all. Ever driven through Hammond, IN? A total dump from this industry.
Utilizing natural gas versus Cole is an option. A commenter below stated he read that that would be the case for this plant. I don’t know if it’s true or not though.
yes it will be ng.
This is from their website:
“Our $18 billion investment across Minnesota and Iowa connects a new iron ore mine and pellet plant in Minnesota with a modern electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking complex in Iowa.”
https://www.mesabimetallics.com/steelproject/
Too much winning. Just like Trump promised. So Iowa will now elect a Democrat Senator to show their appreciation.
As a native Iowan with lifelong friends still there, I’m deeply grateful to The President that this incredible opportunity has landed in Iowa. It will bring much needed jobs and prosperity back to this state. Over the years, many farms have been sold, foreclosed on and sadly, purchased by large commercial chinese farms all around them. Many Iowans couldn’t find jobs as thousands were lost to closure of steel and farm production. No more…
This is a great restart for the Midwest… in gratitude
The articles were a little scanty on locations, but the iron ore comes from the Mesabi mine, near Nashwauk, MN- which is a little west of “Bob Dylan’s Hibbing, MN in the Iron Range.
The destination would be in Des Moines, IA which is kind of in Iowa’s center.
It looks like rail lines could be partly-revamped to move the ore (as taconite) directly to Duluth & Superior.
From there rail would take in through Minneapolis-St. Paul, & then SW to Des Moines. Looks possible!
River travel wouldn’t really help the transit anywhere.
Can we keep him please? The voters get shafted by our congress members and Senators who are controlled opposition, lining their own pockets and stay past their due date (McConnell, Feinstein, Pelosi). The only great MAGA President in our lifetime, rickrolled, duped and indicted for 8yrs, we’re only allowed to have 4 years with! I want more and I can guarantee the majority of Americans would keep him and most of his cabinet for at least 4 more!
If this was to be announced to be located in a blue state it would be turned down immediately .
This is a win for Iowa GOP/MAGA and Minn GOP. Minn is furious that their state didn’t get the mill amd blaming democrats.
Mesabi Metallics, an Essar Group company, aligns with global sustainability goals, illustrating Essar’s dedication to creating enduring value while supporting a transition towards a more sustainable future.
😉
Build baby build
Being a third generation Coloradan whose parents were born and raised in Pueblo, watching the Colorado Fuel & Iron mill close was terrible. CF&I was the largest employer in Pueblo, and its closing wiped out countless jobs. The why is another story; Unions!
I can only hope, perhaps more of a wish, that CF&I could be brought back to life.
YaHoo! Way to go MAGA
HOORAAY‼️😊😊
Why Iowa ? Seems like a strange place for a steel mill. Why not PA or OH ?
Sounds good, but then I look at who Mesabi is, and think to myself why in the hell can’t we have an American owned conglomerate do this? Indian owned Essar group? More damn Indians like the H-1B crap isn’t bad enough.
I couldn’t find a lot of info, the mine in MN was already announced and is in construction. It uses a direct reduction process making sponge iron, which is 94% iron so efficient to ship. Great feedstock to an Electric Arc Furnace.
MN & Iowa were in competition for the steel mill (possibly others too). Electricity rates, labor availability, taxes, and regulations all affect. Iowa was chosen.
This steel mill will use electric arc furnaces using a blend of scrap and the sponge iron. Sponge iron burns so much less energy used. Will be a big job source for decades.
The company is owned by the Indian conglomerate Essar Group, chaired by Rewant Ruia. The current president and CEO is Joe Broking.