Can U.S. Metal Can Sector Stay Competitive?

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The Can Manufacturers Institute (Washington, D.C.) is asking the Trump administration to exclude tinplate steel from tariffs and other proposed import restrictions so that the can sector can stay competitive in the United States. Tinplate steel is a special type of steel used to manufacture metal cans, accounting for 2% of all steel used for canmaking.

According to the Can Manufacturers Institute, a slight increase in imported prices could cause can manufacturing plants to close in the U.S., since only 58% of domestic demand can be met by U.S. tinplate producers. Metal can manufacturers would be at a competitive disadvantage with the plastic and glass industries, which are not subject to tariffs. Industrial Info is tracking $93.5 million in metal can projects in the U.S.

Ball Metal Beverage Container's (Dandridge, Tennessee) $2.5 million metal can manufacturing project entails adding a new line to the company's facility in Dandrige. Construction is expected to begin this fall and be completed in early spring 2018.

In Rome, Georgia, Ball Corporation (NYSE:BLL) (Broomfield, Colorado) is constructing a 57,407-square-foot building expansion consisting of 53,757 square feet of manufacturing space, a 1,000-square-foot electrical/utility room, 2,650 square feet of office space and a new 16-ounce aluminum bottle line. Construction began in the fall of 2016 and is expected to be completed in early 2018.

Ball Corporation also is under way with a metal food packaging manufacturing plant expansion in Columbus, Ohio, which includes constructing an 80,000-square-foot building and installing three manufacturing lines. Construction began in summer 2016 and is expected to be completed this summer.

Chill-Can's (Youngstown, Ohio) $20 million grassroot Chill-Can production center entails constructing 250,000 square feet of new space, consisting of four new buildings for Phase I. Construction began spring of 2017 and is expected to be completed in spring of 2018. Phase II comprises installing a new canning line and two plastic injection molding machines. Construction is expected to start in early 2018 and be completed that spring.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at https://www.industrialinfo.com.