What happend to the American Steel Industry?

[Virginian87]

De-regulation, same thing that's killing the legacy airlines.  It makes me sad to see great American industrial icons like Bethlehem Steel, Republic Steel, and Youngstown Sheet and Tube fade into oblivion while the Chinese, Japanese, and European steel industries hum along. 

Another problem was failure of the government to impose stricter regulations to protect American industry.  It's sickening to see Japanese cars take over our highways while Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors products languish.

(sigh) I wish American industry could go back to 1947 and stay that way.

[Virginian87]

It makes me sad to see great American industrial icons like Bethlehem Steel, Republic Steel, and Youngstown Sheet and Tube fade into oblivion while the Chinese, Japanese, and European steel industries hum along. 

The steel industries in most European countries are far from humming along; over the past few decades there have been big cutbacks and mergers in most countries. One reason why it's still in a better shape than in the U.S is due to various E.U and Government grants/structural funds to some regions.
Over here there was a vicious spate of closures in the early '80's, largely motivated by political concerns rather than economic ones. Some places (like Consett in Co. Durham) have never really recovered and there was some big cutbacks across South Wales a few years ago; the end of what was left of the steel industry in Ebbw Vale was very sad.

I was thinking of Germany, Poland and Eastern Europe.

[Virginian87]

I was thinking of Germany, Poland and Eastern Europe.

Did you? That's interesting; I tend to associate the word "Europe" when used in that sort of sense as meaning (basically) the countries in the E.U before the enlargement (o/c Germany is one of those but...)
But, yeah, a lot of steel gets made out in eastern Europe (not sure whether there's been job losses and stuff or not out there. Hmm...). IIRC what's left of Bethlehem Steel is owned by Mittal these days; I guess that counts as ironic.

Sorry, I should have been more clear.  Yes, that is true.  International Steel purchased the rotting carcass of Bethlehem Steel and in turn became a subsidiary of Mittal.  God, I hate it when foreign companies take over American companies (Case in point: DaimlerChrysler).

[Virginian87]

Sorry, I should have been more clear.

That's o.k; it's given me a chance to rant about f***ing CORUS closing down plants in South Wales at a time when the prospects for the steel industry actually looked good...

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Strange world

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You know, if you replace "American" with "British" and "DaimlerChrysler" with "Austin Rover" then that's very close to my viewpoint...

How did you guys feel when BMW and Volkswagen took over Rolls-Royce and Bentley?  How about Ford buying up Jaguar and Land Rover?