[Ferro-Alloys.com]EVRAZ announced earlier last week that it will suspend operations at its steel mill in Claymont, Delaware due to subdued market demand and the high volume of imports. Over the next two months, about 375 employees will complete processing and shipping of existing products and prepare the mill for idling. The company is evaluating different scenarios under which it can reopen the 500,000 ton-capacity plant should market conditions improve. According to the company, they do not expect any adverse financial effect on its operations in North America as a result of the Claymont Mill closur, adding that customers of the mill will be served by other EVRAZ facilities in North America.

"We appreciate our employees’ efforts to operate EVRAZ Claymont as efficiently as possible," said John Zanieski, Executive Vice President - Flat Products and Re-cycling. "Unfortunately, market conditions continue to be challenging and low market visibility makes it difficult to foresee when positive changes will occur.”

EVRAZ Claymont makes steel plate and custom plate products for industrial customers. Total production volumes in H1 2013 and for the whole of 2012 were 189,025 tons and 383,590 tons, respectively.