Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is designed to provide a reader of our financial statements with a narrative from the perspective of management on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and other factors that may affect our future results. We believe it is important to read our Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as well as other publicly available information.
OVERVIEW
We are the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America. Founded in 1847 as a mine operator, we are also the largest manufacturer of iron ore pellets in North America. We are vertically integrated from mined raw materials, direct reduced iron and ferrous scrap to primary steelmaking and downstream finishing, stamping, tooling and tubing. We are the largest supplier of steel to the automotive industry in North America and serve a diverse range of other markets due to our comprehensive offering of flat-rolled steel products. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, we employ approximately 27,000 people across our operations in the United States and Canada.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The following is a summary of our consolidated results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 (in millions, except for diluted EPS):
Total Revenue Net Income Adjusted EBITDA Diluted EPS
See "— Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for a reconciliation of our Net income to Adjusted EBITDA.
ECONOMIC OVERVIEW
STEEL MARKET OVERVIEW
During the first half of 2023, we saw improving steel market conditions compared to the second half of 2022, which was led by the highest quarterly light vehicle production in North America since 2019, low inventory levels at service centers and a stronger than
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historical raw materials market. Although we have seen sequentially improved market conditions, the price for domestic HRC, the most significant index impacting our revenues and profitability, averaged $1,065 per net ton for the second quarter of 2023, 19% lower than the second quarter of 2022, but well above the prior annual ten-year average of approximately $750 per net ton and $875 per net ton during the first quarter of 2023. Demand for steel from automotive manufacturers improved as supply chain issues continued to ease and light vehicle sales increased, reducing the availability of steel supply to the spot market. During the second quarter of 2023, service center inventories reached their lowest level since the first quarter of 2021, with only 1.5 months of inventory on hand. These low inventory levels should generate significant demand for steel throughout the remainder of 2023 as service centers will need to meet the continued strong demand from their end-use customers. Additionally, steel imports remained unattractive for the majority of the first half of 2023. Looking forward, we expect domestic steel demand to remain healthy to the extent that these conditions persist.
The CHIPS Act and Inflation Reduction Act should provide meaningful support for overall domestic steel demand throughout 2023 and beyond. Our extensive portfolio of products should result in increased steel demand from some of our end markets. The CHIPS Act promotes semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S., which should help support non-residential construction as well as machinery and equipment. Additionally, the on-shoring of manufacturing in the U.S. should reduce risk of supply chain issues in the future. The Inflation Reduction Act provides a tax credit for consumers who buy new EVs, which further incentivizes consumers to purchase vehicles in an environment where pent-up demand is still very strong from recent supply chain issues and lower than historical dealer inventory levels. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides incentives for the use of domestic steel for investments in clean energy projects, including wind and solar projects, which consume a substantial amount of steel. We expect to benefit from the spending related to this recently passed legislation during 2023 and beyond.
KEY DRIVERS
The largest market for our steel products is the automotive industry in North America, which makes light vehicle production a key driver of demand. During the second quarter of 2023, North American light vehicle production was approximately 4.1 million units, the highest quarterly production volume since 2019. Full-year 2023 North American light vehicle production is estimated to exceed 15 million units, which would also be the highest level since 2019. During the first six months of 2023, light vehicle sales in the U.S. saw an average seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 15.4 million units sold, representing a 13% increase compared to the same period for 2022. Additionally, the average age of cars on the road in the U.S. is at an all-time high of 12.5 years, which should support demand as older vehicles need to be replaced. As the largest supplier of automotive-grade steel in the U.S., we expect to benefit from increased vehicle production over the coming years.
The price for busheling scrap, a necessary input for flat-rolled steel production in EAFs in the U.S., has continued to average well above the prior annual ten-year average of $380 per long ton since 2021. The busheling price averaged $515 per long ton during the second quarter of 2023. We expect the supply of busheling scrap to further tighten due to decreasing prime scrap generation from original equipment manufacturers and the growth of EAF capacity in the U.S., reduced metallics import availability, and a push for expanded scrap use globally. As we are fully integrated and have primarily a blast furnace footprint, increased prices for busheling scrap in the U.S. bolster our competitive advantage, as we source the majority of our iron feedstock from our stable-cost mining and pelletizing operations in Minnesota and Michigan.
As for iron ore, the Platts 62% price averaged $111 per metric ton in the second quarter of 2023, which is 14% higher than the prior annual ten-year average. While higher iron ore prices play a role in increased steel prices, we also directly benefit from higher iron ore prices for the portion of iron ore pellets we sell to third parties.
OTHER FACTORS
The U.S. Federal Reserve has pushed interest rates to the highest level in more than 15 years in an attempt to slow demand and reduce inflation. Though we are a firm believer that the U.S. is the most resilient manufacturing economy in the world, rising interest rates could cause a significant economic downturn and impact various end markets that we serve and overall domestic steel demand. While we believe there is strong pent-up demand for light vehicles in the U.S., automotive sales could be negatively impacted due to higher interest rates. The non-residential construction market could also see delays in construction as increased rates drive caution on new business. If continued rising rates in the U.S. result in a recession, we believe that end-user demand for steel intensive products could be negatively impacted as a recession would likely result in higher unemployment, lower wages and less disposable income for consumers.
In January 2023, we announced that we partnered with the USW and filed antidumping and countervailing duty petitions against eight countries related to unfairly traded tin and chromium coated sheet steel products. Tin mill products are used primarily for packaging applications, particularly canned food. We produce tin mill products at our Weirton, West Virginia operating facility and sell approximately 300,000 net tons per year, representing approximately two percent of total Company steel sales volumes. On June 21, 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its preliminary affirmative determination in the countervailing duty investigation of tin mill products from China and imposed subsidy rates ranging from 89.02% to 542.55%, based on the exporter. Favorable rulings from the U.S. Department of Commerce will positively impact our ability to continue to produce tin mill products at our Weirton facility, which employs approximately 900 people, the majority of whom are USW-represented.
During 2022, we experienced higher costs than the prior year due to inflationary pressures on input and energy costs, as well as lower production volume and higher repair and maintenance spending. We started to benefit from lower costs in the first half of 2023 and expect that to continue throughout 2023 and beyond, as many inflationary pressures have started to ease, production volume has improved, and repair and maintenance expenses have begun to normalize.
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COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS
As the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America, we benefit from having the size and scale necessary in a competitive, capital intensive business. Our sizeable operating footprint provides us with the operational leverage and flexibility to achieve competitive margins throughout the business cycle. We also have a unique vertically integrated profile from mined raw materials, direct reduced iron, and ferrous scrap to primary steelmaking and downstream finishing, stamping, tooling and tubing. This positioning gives us more predictable costs throughout our supply chain and more control over both our manufacturing inputs and our end-product destination.
Our primary competitive strength lies within our automotive steel business. We are the largest supplier of automotive-grade steel in the U.S. Compared to other steel end markets, automotive steel is generally higher quality, more operationally and technologically intensive to produce, and requires significantly more devotion to customer service than other steel end markets. This dedication to service and the infrastructure in place to meet our automotive customers’ demanding needs took decades to develop and we believe is unmatched in our industry. We have continued to invest capital and resources to meet the requirements needed to serve the automotive industry and intend to maintain our position as the industry leader going forward.
Due to its demanding nature, the automotive steel business typically generates higher through-the-cycle margins, making it a desirable end market. Over the past two years, we have been able to increase the fixed prices for our automotive contracts significantly. Demand for our automotive-grade steel is expected to increase in the coming years as a result of pent-up automotive demand arising out of supply chain issues and the replacement of older vehicles.
Our integrated footprint provides us with a significant competitive advantage in supplying automotive and other highly demanding end markets, as we are able to produce a wide range of high-quality products. Our integrated facilities utilize domestic internally sourced iron ore as the primary feedstock, which allows us to produce a higher quality product with low residual content. We also operate EAF facilities, which gives us insight into the limitations of our competitors who predominantly operate only EAF facilities. Companies that are primarily EAF producers are limited in their product range as their equipment is designed to utilize scrap as the main feedstock, which often contains high residual or impure content, such as copper, limiting their ability to produce certain high grades of steel that demand virgin iron. We also believe companies that primarily operate EAFs do not possess our breadth and depth of customer service, technical support, and research and development capabilities.
Since the acquisition of our steelmaking assets, we have dedicated significant resources to maintain and upgrade our facilities and equipment. The quality of our assets gives us a unique advantage in product offerings and operational efficiencies. In 2022, we brought our facilities and equipment up to the standard required to maintain and improve the quality and reliability of our supply to the automotive industry, as well as other end markets. The necessary resources that we have invested in our footprint are expected to keep our assets at an automotive-grade quality and reliability for years to come.
Our industry leading portfolio of fixed price contracts provides us a competitive advantage, as the steel industry is often viewed as volatile and subject to the market price of steel. Our fixed price contracts mitigate pricing volatility and support us in achieving healthy margins through the cycle. We were able to achieve consecutive fixed price contract increases in 2022 and 2023. We expect to have continued success in resetting our annual fixed price contracts throughout the remainder of 2023 and in the coming years.
Our ability to source our primary feedstock domestically and internally is a competitive strength. This model reduces our exposure to volatile pricing and unreliable global sourcing. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has displayed the importance of our U.S.-centric footprint, as our competitors who primarily operate EAF facilities rely on imported pig iron to produce flat-rolled steel, the supply of which has been disrupted by that conflict. The best example is our legacy business of producing iron ore pellets. By controlling our iron ore pellet supply, our primary steelmaking raw material feedstock can be secured at a stable and predictable cost and not be subject to as many factors outside of our control.
We believe we offer the most comprehensive flat-rolled steel product selection in the industry, along with several complementary products and services. A sampling of our offering includes advanced high-strength steel, hot-dipped galvanized, aluminized, galvalume, electrogalvanized, galvanneal, HRC, cold-rolled coil, plate, tinplate, GOES, NOES, stainless steels, tool and die, stamped components, rail, slab and cast ingot. Across the quality spectrum and the supply chain, our customers can frequently find the solutions they need from our product selection. Our broad range of product offerings also gives us a competitive advantage in commercial negotiations as our customers can source the majority, if not all, of their steel product needs from us.
We are currently the only producer of electrical steels referred to as GOES and NOES in the U.S. In November 2021, the Infrastructure and Jobs Act was passed in the U.S., which provides funding to be used for the modernization of the electrical grid and the infrastructure needed to allow for increased EV adoption, both of which require electrical steels. As a result, with increased demand for both transformers and motors for EVs, we expect to benefit from this position in what is currently a rapidly growing market. In 2023, our electrical steel business is expected to post the highest profitability in over a decade. We also recently commissioned our NOES expansion at our Zanesville facility, which will ultimately increase our capacity by approximately 70,000 net tons.
We are the first and the only producer of HBI in the Great Lakes region. Construction of our Toledo direct reduction plant was completed in the fourth quarter of 2020 and reached full run-rate nameplate annual capacity of 1.9 million metric tons during the middle of 2021. From this modern plant, we produce a high-quality, low-cost and low-carbon intensive HBI product that can be used in our blast furnaces as a productivity enhancer, or in our BOFs and EAFs as a premium scrap alternative. We use HBI to stretch our hot metal production, lowering carbon intensity and reliance on coke. With increasing tightness in the scrap and metallics markets combined with our own internal needs, we expect our Toledo direct reduction plant to support healthy margins for us going forward.
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STRATEGY
MAXIMIZE OUR COMMERCIAL STRENGTHS
We offer a full suite of flat steel products encompassing all steps of the steel manufacturing process. We have an industry-leading market share in the automotive sector, where our portfolio of high-end products delivers a broad range of differentiated solutions for this highly sought after customer base.
As a result of our exposure to these high-end markets, we have the highest fixed price contractual volumes in our industry. Approximately 45% of our volumes are sold under these contracts. These contracts reduce volatility and allow for more predictable through-the-cycle margins. Our fixed-price contract values are expected to significantly improve throughout 2023 compared to 2022. In addition to our fixed price contracts, we anticipate having more volumes under index-linked contracts in 2023 and beyond, which should reduce our reliance on spot sales and allow us to improve our efficiency with increased volumes.
Our unique capabilities, driven by our portfolio of assets and technical expertise, give us an advantage in our flat-rolled product offering. We offer products that have superior formability, surface quality, strength and corrosion resistance for the automotive industry. We are also the only producer of GOES and NOES in the U.S. In addition, our state-of-the-art Research and Innovation Center in Middletown, Ohio gives us the ability to collaborate with our customers and create new products and develop new and efficient steel manufacturing processes. During 2022, we introduced our MOTOR-MAX™ product line of NOES for high frequency motors and generators. We also recently introduced our C-STAR™ protection steel, which was developed for the purpose of providing battery support in EVs, but can be used in any type of light vehicle. These unique product offerings and customer service capabilities enable us to remain the leading steel supplier to the automotive industry.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR U.S.-CENTRIC, INTERNALLY SOURCED SUPPLY CHAIN
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has reinforced the unique advantage of our vertically integrated business model. Two-thirds of U.S. imports of pig iron, a critical raw material for flat-rolled EAFs, had historically been sourced from Russia and Ukraine. This supply remains largely disrupted, driving volatility in input costs and reducing availability for our competitors’ ferrous inputs. We, on the other hand, produce our pig iron and liquid steel entirely in the U.S., supported by internally sourced iron ore and HBI and supplemented with internally sourced scrap. In addition, our internally produced pig iron is more environmentally friendly than imported pig iron, which is often made from sintered iron ore fines and with higher coke rates, for example. While competitors are forced to rely on suppliers who are subject to unpredictable disruptions in their ability to supply materials, we are able to take advantage of our vertically integrated footprint.
We began construction of our HBI plant in 2017, in part because of the uncertainty of the industry sourcing metallics from Russia and Ukraine. Russia had previously invaded the Crimea peninsula in 2014, and we saw a need for more on-shore metallics capacity in the U.S. HBI, which is a lower-carbon alternative to imported pig iron, has now become a critical component of our decarbonization strategy.
OPTIMIZE OUR FULLY-INTEGRATED STEELMAKING FOOTPRINT
We are a fully-integrated steel enterprise with the size and scale to achieve margins above industry averages for flat-rolled steel. Our focus remains on realizing our inherent cost advantage in flat-rolled steel while also lowering carbon emissions. The combination of our ferrous raw materials, including iron ore, scrap and HBI, allows us to do so relative to peers who must rely on more unpredictable and unreliable raw material sourcing strategies.
We have ample access to scrap along with internally sourced iron ore pellets and HBI. Our ability to optimize use of these raw materials in our blast furnaces and BOFs ultimately boosts liquid steel output, reduces coke needs and lowers carbon emissions from our operations. As a result of successful operational improvements, we announced the indefinite idle of the Indiana Harbor #4 blast furnace in the first quarter of 2022. The indefinite idle reduced our operational blast furnaces from eight to seven. Our strategic use of HBI in our blast furnaces and maximizing scrap usage in our BOFs has allowed us to achieve the same steel production with one less blast furnace in our footprint.
During the second quarter of 2023, it was announced that we entered into long-term state mineral leases for more than 2,600 acres of iron ore at the Nashwauk mine site in Itasca County, Minnesota. The award of these leases resolved years of uncertainty regarding Hibbing Taconite’s mine life. This ore body is intended to serve as an extension of Hibbing Taconite, as the state’s mineral leases, combined with our own private mineral holdings at Nashwauk, are expected to provide more than two decades of additional ore reserves.
We used 2022 as an opportunity to optimize our steelmaking footprint by dedicating significant resources to bring our facilities and equipment up to the standard required to maintain and improve our supply to the automotive industry. The necessary resources that we have invested in our footprint are expected to keep our assets at automotive-grade quality and reliability for years to come. With our facilities and equipment in the best shape since the acquisition of our steelmaking assets and no major investments expected until at least 2026, we are well positioned to benefit from operating efficiencies and improved capabilities in the coming years.
ADVANCE OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE GREEN ECONOMY
We are seeking to expand our customer base with the rapidly growing and desirable EV market. At this time, we believe the North American automotive industry is approaching a structural inflection point, with the adoption of electrical motors in passenger vehicles. As this market grows, it will require more advanced steel applications to meet the needs of EV producers and consumers. These features include the already existing sophisticated steel supply for internal combustion engine vehicle parts, along with the
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added need for steel-based battery enclosures in EVs. With our unique technical capabilities and leadership in the automotive industry, we believe we are positioned better than any other North American steelmaker to supply the steel and parts necessary to fill these needs.
We also have the right products to meet the growing demand for renewable energy as well as for the modernization of the U.S. electrical grid. We offer plate products that can be used in windmills, which we estimate contain 130 tons of steel per megawatt of electricity. In addition, panels for solar power are heavy consumers of galvanized steel, where we are a leading producer. We estimate solar panels consume 40 tons of steel per megawatt of electricity.
We are currently the sole producer of electrical steel in the U.S., which can facilitate the modernization of the U.S. electrical grid. Along with charging networks, electrical steels are also needed in the motors of EVs.
ENHANCE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Our commitment to operating our business in a more environmentally responsible manner remains constant. One of the most important issues impacting our industry, our stakeholders and our planet is climate change. In early 2021, we announced our commitment to reduce GHG emissions 25% from 2017 levels by 2030. This goal represents combined Scope 1 (direct emissions) and Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased electricity or other forms of energy) GHG emission reductions across all of our operations. Our 2022 absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions were below our reduction goal well ahead of our 2030 target year. On a per ton basis, we reduced our integrated Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG intensity from 1.67 per metric ton of crude steel produced in 2021 to 1.60 in 2022.
We plan to further our efforts towards our GHG emissions reduction goal by focusing on actionable, commercially viable technologies and solutions while supporting research for breakthrough technologies for the primary iron and steel sector. In an effort to build on our GHG emissions reduction progress, we have continued our partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Better Climate Challenge initiative, which was established in December 2021. We have continued to pursue opportunities such as carbon capture and the use of hydrogen within our facilities. In May 2023, we completed a successful blast furnace hydrogen injection trial at Middletown Works. During the trial, hydrogen gas was injected in all 20 tuyeres at the Middletown #3 blast furnace, facilitating the production of clean pig iron. In this trial, hydrogen served as a partial substitute for the fossil fuels necessary for iron reduction, ultimately replacing the release of CO 2 with the release of H 2 O (water vapor) with no impact to product quality or operating efficiency. Additionally, we support the development of alternative energy sources - such as wind and solar - which will benefit our own environmental footprint while combating the global impacts of climate change.
Our future GHG emissions reductions are expected to be driven by the use of direct reduced iron in blast furnaces, the stretching of hot metal with additional scrap, driving more productivity out of fewer blast furnaces, implementing hydrogen use where possible, utilizing carbon capture, procuring more clean energy and operating with higher energy efficiency.
IMPROVE FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY
Given the cyclicality of our business, it is important to us to be in the financial position to easily withstand economic cycles. Since the acquisition of our steelmaking assets, we have demonstrated our ability to generate healthy free cash flow and use it to reduce substantial amounts of debt, return capital to shareholders through our share repurchase program and make investments to both improve and grow our business. During the second quarter of 2023, we reduced the principal amount of outstanding debt by $588 million while returning $94 million in capital to shareholders via share repurchases. We have also shown our ability to take advantage of volatility in the debt markets and repurchase notes at a discount. During 2022, we repurchased $351 million aggregate principal amount of assorted series of notes at an average price of 92% of par.
Given healthy market conditions, we expect to have ample opportunities to reduce our debt with our own free cash flow generation through the remainder of 2023 and in the coming years.
On April 14, 2023, we issued $750 million aggregate principal amount of our 6.750% 2030 Senior Notes at par. The net proceeds from the 6.750% 2030 Senior Notes issuance were used to repay a portion of the borrowings under our ABL Facility. The transaction increased our financial flexibility and liquidity, extended our debt maturity profile, and was effectively leverage and interest expense neutral. As of June 30, 2023, we maintained in excess of $800 million in pre-payable debt under our ABL Facility and another $1.5 billion in callable notes that we expect to continue to reduce with our free cash flow generation.
On June 9, 2023, we announced that we amended and extended our ABL Facility pursuant to the Fourth ABL Amendment. The Fourth ABL Amendment extends the maturity date of our ABL Facility to June 9, 2028. The overall size of our ABL Facility was increased to $4.75 billion, which added $250 million of liquidity. Additionally, the Fourth ABL Amendment enables us to increase our borrowing base by including assets of Ferrous Processing and Trading Company. Following the transaction, we extended our debt maturity runway and have no debt maturities until 2026. Our liquidity as of June 30, 2023 is the highest in our Company’s history.
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STEELMAKING RESULTS
The following is a summary of our Steelmaking segment operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 (dollars in millions, except for average selling price and shipments in thousands of net tons):
Total Revenue Gross Margin Adjusted EBITDA Steel Shipments (nt)
Q2 2023 Q2 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022 Q2 2023 Q2 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022 Q2 2023 Q2 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022 Q2 2023 Q2 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022
STEEL PRODUCT REVENUE: GROSS MARGIN %: ADJUSTED EBITDA %: AVERAGE SELLING PRICE PER TON OF STEEL PRODUCTS:
$ 5,274 $ 5,414 $ 9,883 $ 10,673 11% 16% 7% 18% 13% 18% 9% 21% $1,255 $1,487 $1,193 $1,466
REVENUES
The following tables represent our steel shipments by product and total revenues by market:
Three Months Ended
June 30, Six Months Ended
June 30,
(In thousands of net tons) 2023 2022 % Change 2023 2022 % Change
Steel shipments by product:
Hot-rolled steel 1,462 1,038 41 % 2,952 1,941 52 %
Cold-rolled steel 645 590 9 % 1,242 1,241 — %
Coated steel 1,244 1,191 4 % 2,412 2,433 (1) %
Stainless and electrical steel 181 194 (7) % 355 383 (7) %
Plate 254 238 7 % 452 459 (2) %
Slab and other steel products 416 390 7 % 874 821 6 %
Total steel shipments by product 4,202 3,641 15 % 8,287 7,278 14 %
Three Months Ended
June 30, Six Months Ended
June 30,
(In millions) 2023 2022 % Change 2023 2022 % Change
Steelmaking revenues by market:
Direct automotive $ 1,980 $ 1,644 20 % $ 3,850 $ 3,251 18 %
Infrastructure and manufacturing 1,591 1,615 (1) % 2,888 3,157 (9) %
Distributors and converters 1,441 1,840 (22) % 2,699 3,669 (26) %
Steel producers 796 1,077 (26) % 1,497 1,893 (21) %
Total Steelmaking revenues by market $ 5,808 $ 6,176 (6) % $ 10,934 $ 11,970 (9) %
Revenues decreased by 6% during the three months ended June 30, 2023, as compared to the prior-year period, primarily due to:
• A decrease of $399 million, or 22%, in revenues from the distributors and converters market, predominantly due to the average HRC price declining $245 per net ton, which was partially offset by increased hot-rolled steel shipments.
• A decrease of $281 million, or 26%, in revenues from the steel producers markets, predominantly due to the decrease in pricing indices for slabs and busheling scrap.
• These decreases were partially offset by an increase in the direct automotive market of $336 million, or 20%, primarily due to increases in selling prices as a result of favorable renewals of annual fixed-price contracts and an increase in shipments.
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Revenues decreased by 9% during the six months ended June 30, 2023, as compared to the prior-year period, primarily due to:
• A decrease of $970 million, or 26%, in revenues from the distributors and converters market, predominantly due to the average HRC price declining $292 per net ton, which was partially offset by increased hot-rolled steel shipments.
• A decrease of $396 million, or 21%, in revenues from the steel producers markets, predominantly due to the decrease in pricing indices for slabs and busheling scrap.
• These decreases were partially offset by an increase in revenues from the direct automotive market of $599 million, or 18%, predominantly due to increases in selling prices as a result of favorable renewals of annual fixed-price contracts and an increase in shipments.
GROSS MARGIN
Gross margin decreased by $338 million, or 35%, during the three months ended June 30, 2023, as compared to the prior-year period, primarily due to:
• A decrease in selling prices (approximately $800 million impact) predominantly due to lower spot prices, which was partially offset by favorable renewals of annual fixed price contracts.
• This decrease was partially offset by an increase in sales volume (approximately $200 million impact); and
• A decrease in costs of production (approximately $300 million) driven by lower raw materials and utilities costs, including natural gas, coal, coke, alloys and scrap, coupled with decreased maintenance costs.
Gross margin decreased by $1,466 million, or 67%, during the six months ended June 30, 2023, as compared to the prior-year period, primarily due to:
• A decrease in selling prices (approximately $2.0 billion impact) predominantly due to lower spot prices, which was partially offset by favorable renewals of annual fixed price contracts.
• This decrease was partially offset by an increase in sales volume (approximately $500 million impact).
ADJUSTED EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA from our Steelmaking segment for the three months ended June 30, 2023, decreased by $344 million, as compared to the three months ended June 30, 2022, primarily due to the decreased gross margin from our operations. Additionally, our Steelmaking Adjusted EBITDA included $141 million and $100 million of Selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Adjusted EBITDA from our Steelmaking segment for the six months ended June 30, 2023, decreased by $1,528 million, as compared to the six months ended June 30, 2022, primarily due to the decreased gross margin from our operations. Additionally, our Steelmaking Adjusted EBITDA included $260 million and $214 million of Selling, general and administrative expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
REVENUES & GROSS MARGIN
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, our consolidated Revenues decreased by $353 million and $1,013 million, respectively, compared to the prior-year periods. The decrease for the three months ended June 30, 2023, was primarily due to the decrease in the average steel product selling price of $232 per net ton, partially offset by the increase of 0.6 million net tons of steel shipments from our Steelmaking segment. The decrease for the six months ended June 30, 2023, was primarily due to the decrease in the average steel product selling price of $273 per net ton, partially offset by the increase of 1.0 million net tons of steel shipments from our Steelmaking segment.
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, our consolidated gross margin decreased by $337 million and $1,487 million, respectively, as compared to the prior-year periods. See "— Steelmaking Results" above for further detail on our operating results.
SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $42 million and $47 million, respectively, as compared to the prior-year periods. The increases were primarily related to higher employment-related costs and outside legal fees.
MISCELLANEOUS - NET
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, Miscellaneous – net decreased by $22 million and $52 million, respectively, as compared to the prior-year periods. The decrease in miscellaneous expense for the three months ended June 30, 2023, was primarily related to the expense in 2022 related to our asset retirement obligation, which was caused by rising electricity costs associated with water management systems at our closed coal mines in Pennsylvania, which was not repeated during 2023. The decrease in miscellaneous expense for the six months ended June 30, 2023 was also impacted by an impairment expense in 2022, which was not repeated during 2023.
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INCOME TAXES
Our effective tax rate is impacted by state income tax expense and permanent items, primarily depletion. It also is affected by discrete items that may occur in any given period but are not consistent from period to period. The following represents a summary of our tax provision and corresponding effective rates:
Three Months Ended
June 30, Six Months Ended
June 30,
(In millions) 2023 2022 2023 2022
Income tax expense $ (102) $ (157) $ (89) $ (394)
Effective tax rate 22 % 21 % 22 % 22 %
The decrease in income tax expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, as compared to the prior-year periods, is directly related to the change in pre-tax income.
Our 2023 estimated annual effective tax rate before discrete items at June 30, 2023 is 22%. This estimated annual effective tax rate exceeds the U.S. statutory rate of 21%, as state income tax expense exceeds the percentage depletion in excess of cost depletion. The 2022 estimated annual effective tax rate before discrete items at June 30, 2022 was 22%.
LIQUIDITY, CASH FLOWS AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
OVERVIEW
Our capital allocation decision-making process is focused on preserving healthy liquidity levels while maintaining the strength of our balance sheet and creating financial flexibility to manage through the cyclical demand for our products and volatility in commodity prices. We are focused on maximizing the cash generation of our operations, reducing debt, returning capital to shareholders and aligning capital investments with our strategic priorities and the requirements of our business plan, including regulatory and permission-to-operate related projects.
The following table provides a summary of our cash flows:
Six Months Ended
June 30,
(In millions) 2023 2022
Cash flows provided by (used in):
Operating activities $ 848 $ 1,398
Investing activities (310) (467)
Financing activities (530) (932)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents $ 8 $ (1)
Free cash flow 1
$ 529 $ 930
1 See "— Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of our free cash flows.
The recent market environment has provided us opportunities to reduce our debt and return capital to shareholders with our free cash flow generation. We also continue to look at the composition of our debt, as we are interested in both extending our average maturity length and increasing our ratio of unsecured debt to secured debt, which can be accomplished with cash provided by operating activities. During the first six months of 2023, we took action in alignment with our capital allocation priorities, as follows:
• We issued $750 million aggregate principal amount of our 6.750% 2030 Senior Notes. The net proceeds from the 6.750% 2030 Senior Notes issuance were used to repay a portion of the borrowings under our existing ABL Facility. The transaction increased our financial flexibility and liquidity, extended our debt maturity profile, and was effectively leverage and interest expense neutral.
• We entered into the Fourth ABL Amendment, which, among other things, extended the maturity date of our ABL Facility to June 9, 2028 and increased the overall size of our ABL Facility to $4.75 billion, which added $250 million of liquidity.
• Additionally, we returned capital to shareholders through our share repurchase program, repurchasing 6.5 million common shares at a cost of $94 million in the aggregate.
These actions with respect to our debt give us additional financial flexibility and liquidity, along with extending our average maturity date, which will better prepare us to navigate more easily through potentially volatile industry conditions in the future.
Additionally, we expect to have opportunities to continue to reduce our debt and return capital to shareholders with our free cash flow generation during the remainder of 2023. As of June 30, 2023, we maintained in excess of $800 million in pre-payable debt under our ABL Facility and another $1.5 billion in callable notes. As of June 30, 2023, there was $666 million remaining under the authorization of our share repurchase program.
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CASH FLOWS
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Six Months Ended
June 30,
(In millions) 2023 2022 Variance
Net income $ 314 $ 1,415 $ (1,101)
Non-cash adjustments to net income 500 812 (312)
Working capital:
Accounts receivable, net (333) (416) 83
Inventories 403 (594) 997
Income taxes 169 (55) 224
Pension and OPEB payments and contributions (58) (114) 56
Payables, accrued employment and accrued expenses (78) 370 (448)
Other, net (69) (20) (49)
Total working capital 34 (829) 863
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 848 $ 1,398 $ (550)
The variance was driven by:
• A $1,413 million decrease in net income after adjustments for non-cash items primarily due to lower gross margins from lower steel sales prices. See "— Steelmaking Results" above for further detail on our operating results.
• A $863 million decrease in cash used for working capital. This was primarily due to a decrease in inventories, as a result of higher sales volumes and lower production costs during the six months ended June 30, 2023, as compared to the prior-year period. Additionally, working capital was impacted by a decrease in repair and maintenance costs during the six months ended June 30, 2023.
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Six Months Ended
June 30,
(In millions) 2023 2022 Variance
Purchase of property, plant and equipment $ (319) $ (468) $ 149
Other 9 1 8
Net cash used by investing activities $ (310) $ (467) $ 157
Our cash used for capital expenditures decreased $149 million due to the completion of our major maintenance cycle in 2022. Our capital expenditures primarily relate to sustaining capital spend, which includes infrastructure, mobile equipment, fixed equipment, product quality, environmental, and health and safety.
We anticipate total cash used for capital expenditures during the next 12 months to be between $675 and $725 million, which primarily consists of sustaining capital spend. With our facilities and equipment in the best shape since the acquisition of our steelmaking assets, we do not expect any major investments until at least 2026.
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Six Months Ended
June 30,
(In millions) 2023 2022 Variance
Proceeds (repayments) of debt $ 750 $ (1,319) $ 2,069
Net borrowings (repayments) under credit facilities (1,031) 636 (1,667)
Repurchase of common shares (94) (176) 82
Other (155) (73) (82)
Net cash used by financing activities $ (530) $ (932) $ 402
The variance was driven by:
• A $402 million decrease in cash used during the six months ended June 30, 2023, resulting from lower net repayments of debt, partially offset by increased repayments on our ABL Facility, as compared to the prior-year period.
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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our primary sources of liquidity are Cash and cash equivalents, cash generated from our operations, availability under our ABL Facility and access to capital markets. We generally maintain minimal cash balances and utilize our access to our ABL Facility to cover fluctuations in our cash requirements. Cash and cash equivalents, which totaled $34 million as of June 30, 2023, include cash on hand and on deposit. The combination of cash and availability under our ABL Facility gives us $3.83 billion in liquidity as of June 30, 2023. During the second quarter of 2023, we issued $750 million in aggregate principal amount of our 6.750% 2030 Senior Notes. We used the net proceeds from the offering to repay a portion of the borrowings under our ABL Facility, increasing our liquidity. Additionally, we entered into the Fourth ABL Amendment to our ABL Facility, increasing our liquidity by $250 million. We believe our liquidity and access to capital markets will be adequate to fund our cash requirements for the next 12 months and for the foreseeable future.
Our ABL Facility, which now matures in June 2028, has a maximum borrowing base of $4.75 billion, determined by applying customary advance rates to eligible accounts receivable, inventory and certain mobile equipment. Our ABL Facility includes a $555 million sublimit for the issuance of letters of credit and a $200 million sublimit for swingline loans. As of June 30, 2023, outstanding letters of credit totaled $117 million, which reduced availability. We issue standby letters of credit with certain financial institutions in order to support business obligations, including, but not limited to, workers' compensation, operating agreements, employee severance, environmental obligations and insurance. Our ABL Facility agreement contains various financial and other covenants. As of June 30, 2023, we were in compliance with all of our ABL Facility covenants.
We have the capability to issue additional unsecured notes and, subject to the limitations set forth in our existing senior notes indentures and ABL Facility, additional secured notes, if we elect to access the debt capital markets. However, our ability to issue additional notes could be limited by market conditions. We intend from time to time to seek to redeem or repurchase our outstanding senior notes with cash on hand, borrowings from existing credit sources or new debt financings and/or exchanges for debt or equity securities, in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such redemptions or repurchases, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors, and the amounts involved may be material.
Refer to NOTE 7 - DEBT AND CREDIT FACILITIES for more information on our ABL Facility and debt.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
ADJUSTED EBITDA
We evaluate performance on an operating segment basis, as well as a consolidated basis, based on Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP measure. This measure is used by management, investors, lenders and other external users of our financial statements to assess our operating performance and to compare operating performance to other companies in the steel industry. In addition, management believes Adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure to assess the earnings power of the business without the impact of capital structure and can be used to assess our ability to service debt and fund future capital expenditures in the business.
The following table provides a reconciliation of our Net income to Adjusted EBITDA:
Three Months Ended
June 30, Six Months Ended
June 30,
(In millions) 2023 2022 2023 2022
Net income $ 356 $ 601 $ 314 $ 1,415
Less:
Interest expense, net (79) (64) (156) (141)
Income tax expense (102) (157) (89) (394)
Depreciation, depletion and amortization (247) (250) (489) (551)
Total EBITDA $ 784 $ 1,072 $ 1,048 $ 2,501
Less:
EBITDA of noncontrolling interests 1
$ 17 $ 13 $ 40 $ 35
Loss on extinguishment of debt — (66) — (80)
Asset impairment — — — (29)
Other, net (8) (6) (10) (8)
Total Adjusted EBITDA $ 775 $ 1,131 $ 1,018 $ 2,583
1 EBITDA of noncontrolling interests includes the following:
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests $ 9 $ 5 $ 24 $ 18
Depreciation, depletion and amortization 8 8 16 17
EBITDA of noncontrolling interests $ 17 $ 13 $ 40 $ 35
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The following table provides a summary of our Adjusted EBITDA by segment:
Three Months Ended
June 30, Six Months Ended
June 30,
(In millions) 2023 2022 2023 2022
Adjusted EBITDA:
Steelmaking $ 765 $ 1,109 $ 1,005 $ 2,533
Other Businesses 15 20 23 49
Corporate and eliminations (5) 2 (10) 1
Total Adjusted EBITDA $ 775 $ 1,131 $ 1,018 $ 2,583
FREE CASH FLOW
Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure defined as operating cash flows less purchase of property, plant and equipment. Management believes it is an important measure to assess the cash generation available to service debt, strategic initiatives or other financing activities.
The following table provides a reconciliation of our operating cash flows to free cash flows:
Six Months Ended
June 30,
(In millions) 2023 2022
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 848 $ 1,398
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (319) (468)
Free cash flows $ 529 $ 930
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR GUARANTORS AND THE ISSUER OF OUR GUARANTEED SECURITIES
The accompanying summarized financial information has been prepared and presented pursuant to SEC Regulation S-X, Rule 3-10, “Financial Statements of Guarantors and Issuers of Guaranteed Securities Registered or Being Registered,” and Rule 13-01 "Financial Disclosures about Guarantors and Issuers of Guaranteed Securities and Affiliates Whose Securities Collateralized a Registrant's Securities." Certain of our subsidiaries (the "Guarantor subsidiaries") as of June 30, 2023 have fully and unconditionally, and jointly and severally, guaranteed the obligations under (a) the 5.875% 2027 Senior Notes, the 7.000% 2027 Senior Notes, the 4.625% 2029 Senior Notes, the 6.750% 2030 Senior Notes, and the 4.875% 2031 Senior Notes issued by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. on a senior unsecured basis and (b) the 6.750% 2026 Senior Secured Notes issued by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. on a senior secured basis. See NOTE 7 - DEBT AND CREDIT FACILITIES for further information.
The following presents the summarized financial information on a combined basis for Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (parent company and issuer of the guaranteed obligations) and the Guarantor subsidiaries, collectively referred to as the obligated group. Transactions between the obligated group have been eliminated. Information for the non-Guarantor subsidiaries was excluded from the combined summarized financial information of the obligated group.
Each Guarantor subsidiary is consolidated by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. as of June 30, 2023. Refer to Exhibit 22 , incorporated herein by reference, for the detailed list of entities included within the obligated group as of June 30, 2023.
As of June 30, 2023, the guarantee of a Guarantor subsidiary with respect to Cliffs' 6.750% 2026 Senior Secured Notes, the 5.875% 2027 Senior Notes, the 7.000% 2027 Senior Notes, the 4.625% 2029 Senior Notes, the 6.750% 2030 Senior Notes and the 4.875% 2031 Senior Notes will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged, and such Guarantor subsidiary’s obligations under the guarantee and the related indentures (the “Indentures”) will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged, upon the occurrence of any of the following, along with the delivery to the trustee of an officer’s certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for in the applicable Indenture relating to the release and discharge of such Guarantor subsidiary’s guarantee have been complied with:
(a) any sale, exchange, transfer or disposition of such Guarantor subsidiary (by merger, consolidation, or the sale of) or the capital stock of such Guarantor subsidiary after which the applicable Guarantor subsidiary is no longer a subsidiary of the Company or the sale of all or substantially all of such Guarantor subsidiary’s assets (other than by lease), whether or not such Guarantor subsidiary is the surviving entity in such transaction, to a person which is not the Company or a subsidiary of the Company; provided that (i) such sale, exchange, transfer or disposition is made in compliance with the applicable Indenture, including the covenants regarding consolidation, merger and sale of assets and, as applicable, dispositions of assets that constitute notes collateral, and (ii) all the obligations of such Guarantor subsidiary under all debt of the Company or its subsidiaries terminate upon consummation of such transaction;
(b) designation of any Guarantor subsidiary as an “excluded subsidiary” (as defined in the Indentures); or
(c) defeasance or satisfaction and discharge of the Indentures.
Each entity in the summarized combined financial information follows the same accounting policies as described in the consolidated financial statements. The accompanying summarized combined financial information does not reflect investments of the obligated group in non-Guarantor subsidiaries. The financial information of the obligated group is presented on a combined
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basis; intercompany balances and transactions within the obligated group have been eliminated. The obligated group's amounts due from, amounts due to, and transactions with, non-Guarantor subsidiaries and related parties have been presented in separate line items.
SUMMARIZED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE ISSUER AND GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES:
The following table is summarized combined financial information from the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Position of the obligated group:
(In millions) June 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
Current assets $ 7,568 $ 7,063
Non-current assets 9,769 9,935
Current liabilities (4,340) (3,866)
Non-current liabilities (6,305) (6,630)
The following table is summarized combined financial information from the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Operations of the obligated group:
Six Months Ended
(In millions) June 30, 2023
Revenues $ 10,462
Cost of goods sold (9,792)
Income from continuing operations 254
Net income 255
Net income attributable to Cliffs shareholders 255
The obligated group had the following balances with non-Guarantor subsidiaries and other related parties:
(In millions) June 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
Balances with non-Guarantor subsidiaries:
Accounts receivable, net $ 182 $ 163
Accounts payable (789) (527)
Balances with other related parties:
Accounts receivable, net $ 9 $ 8
Accounts payable (12) (13)
Additionally, for the six months ended June 30, 2023, the obligated group had Revenues of $71 million and Cost of goods sold of $52 million, in each case, with other related parties.
MARKET RISKS
We are subject to a variety of risks, including those caused by changes in commodity prices and interest rates. We have established policies and procedures to manage such risks; however, certain risks are beyond our control.
PRICING RISKS
In the ordinary course of business, we are exposed to market risk and price fluctuations related to the sale of our products, which are impacted primarily by market prices for HRC and other related spot pricing indices, and the purchase of energy and raw materials used in our operations, which are impacted by market prices for natural gas, electricity, ferrous and stainless steel scrap, chrome, metallurgical coal, coke, zinc and nickel. Our strategy to address market risk has generally been to obtain competitive prices for our products and services and allow operating results to reflect market price movements dictated by supply and demand; however, we make forward physical purchases and enter into hedge contracts to manage exposure to price risk related to the purchases of certain raw materials and energy used in the production process.
Our financial results can vary for our operations as a result of fluctuations in market prices. We attempt to mitigate these risks by aligning fixed and variable components in our customer pricing contracts, supplier purchasing agreements and derivative financial instruments.
Some customer contracts have fixed-pricing terms, which increase our exposure to fluctuations in raw material and energy costs. To reduce our exposure, we enter into annual, fixed-price agreements for certain raw materials. Some of our existing multi-year raw material supply agreements have required minimum purchase quantities. Under adverse economic conditions, those minimums may exceed our needs. Absent exceptions for force majeure and other circumstances affecting the legal enforceability of the agreements, these minimum purchase requirements may compel us to purchase quantities of raw materials that could significantly exceed our anticipated needs or pay damages to the supplier for shortfalls. In these circumstances, we would attempt to negotiate agreements for new purchase quantities. There is a risk, however, that we would not be successful in reducing
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purchase quantities, either through negotiation or litigation. If that occurred, we would likely be required to purchase more of a particular raw material in a particular year than we need, negatively affecting our results of operations and cash flows.
Certain of our customer contracts include variable-pricing mechanisms that adjust selling prices in response to changes in the costs of certain raw materials and energy, while other of our customer contracts exclude such mechanisms. We may enter into multi-year purchase agreements for certain raw materials with similar variable-price mechanisms, allowing us to achieve natural hedges between the customer contracts and supplier purchase agreements. Therefore, in some cases, price fluctuations for energy (particularly natural gas and electricity), raw materials (such as scrap, chrome, zinc and nickel) or other commodities may be, in part, passed on to customers rather than absorbed solely by us. There is a risk, however, that the variable-price mechanisms in the sales contracts may not necessarily change in tandem with the variable-price mechanisms in our purchase agreements, negatively affecting our results of operations and cash flows.
Our strategy to address volatile natural gas rates and electricity rates includes improving efficiency in energy usage, identifying alternative providers and utilizing the lowest cost alternative fuels. If we are unable to align fixed and variable components between customer contracts and supplier purchase agreements, we use cash-settled commodity price swaps to hedge the market risk associated with the purchase of certain of our raw materials and energy requirements. Additionally, we routinely evaluate the use of these derivative instruments to hedge a portion of our natural gas, electricity, tin and zinc requirements. Our hedging strategy is designed to protect us from excessive pricing volatility. However, since we do not typically hedge 100% of our exposure, abnormal price increases in any of these commodity markets might still negatively affect operating costs.
The following table summarizes the negative effect of a hypothetical change in the fair value of our derivative instruments outstanding as of June 30, 2023, due to a 10% and 25% change in the market price of each of the indicated commodities:
Commodity Derivative (In millions) 10% Change 25% Change
Natural gas $ 53 $ 133
Electricity 12 29
Tin — 1
Any resulting changes in fair value would be recorded as adjustments to AOCI, net of income taxes, or recognized in net earnings, as appropriate. These hypothetical losses would be partially offset by the benefit of lower prices paid for the related commodities.
VALUATION OF GOODWILL AND OTHER LONG-LIVED ASSETS
GOODWILL
We assign goodwill arising from acquired companies to the reporting units that are expected to benefit from the synergies of the acquisition. Goodwill is tested on a qualitative or quantitative basis for impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis (October 1) and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. These events or circumstances could include a significant change in the business climate, legal factors, operating performance indicators, competition, or sale or disposition of a significant portion of a reporting unit. We have an unconditional option to bypass the qualitative test for any reporting unit in any period and proceed directly to performing the quantitative test. Should our qualitative test indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, we perform a quantitative test to determine the amount of impairment, if any, to the carrying value of the reporting unit and its associated goodwill.
Application of the goodwill impairment test requires judgment, including the identification of reporting units, assignment of assets and liabilities to reporting units, assignment of goodwill to reporting units and if a quantitative assessment is deemed necessary in determination of the fair value of each reporting unit. The fair value of each reporting unit is estimated using the guideline public company method, the discounted cash flow methodology, or a combination of both, which considers forecasted cash flows discounted at an estimated weighted average cost of capital. Assessing the recoverability of our goodwill requires significant assumptions regarding the estimated future cash flows and other factors to determine the fair value of a reporting unit, including, among other things, estimates related to forecasts of future revenues, expected Adjusted EBITDA, expected capital expenditures and working capital requirements, which are based upon our long-range plan estimates. The assumptions used to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit may change from year to year based on operating results, market conditions and other factors. Changes in these assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value for each reporting unit.
Our Tooling and Stamping reporting unit fair value was not substantially in excess of its carrying values as of June 30, 2023. A slower than anticipated resolution of the supply chain issues related to the global semiconductor shortages that have hampered the automotive industry, higher than expected capital requirements, and/or an increase in the discount rate could result in future impairment indicators.
OTHER LONG-LIVED ASSETS
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances that would indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. Such indicators may include: a significant decline in expected future cash flows; a sustained, significant decline in market pricing; a significant adverse change in legal or environmental factors or in the business climate; changes in estimates of our recoverable reserves; and unanticipated competition. Any adverse change in these factors could have a significant impact on the recoverability of our long-lived assets and could have a material impact on our consolidated statements of operations and statements of financial position.
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A comparison of each asset group's carrying value to the estimated undiscounted net future cash flows expected to result from the use of the assets, including cost of disposition, is used to determine if an asset is recoverable. Projected future cash flows reflect management's best estimate of economic and market conditions over the projected period, including growth rates in revenues and costs, and estimates of future expected changes in operating margins and capital expenditures. If the carrying value of the asset group is higher than its undiscounted net future cash flows, the asset group is measured at fair value and the difference is recorded as a reduction to the long-lived assets. We estimate fair value using a market approach, an income approach or a cost approach. For the six months ended June 30, 2023, we concluded that there were no additional triggering events resulting in the need for an impairment assessment.
INTEREST RATE RISK
Interest payable on our senior notes is at fixed rates. Interest payable under our ABL Facility is at a variable rate based upon the applicable base rate plus the applicable base rate margin depending on the excess availability. As of June 30, 2023, we had $833 million outstanding under our ABL Facility. An increase in prevailing interest rates would increase interest expense and interest paid for any outstanding borrowings under our ABL Facility. For example, a 100 basis point change to interest rates under our ABL Facility at the June 30, 2023 borrowing level would result in a change of $8 million to interest expense on an annual basis.
SUPPLY CONCENTRATION RISKS
Many of our operations and mines rely on one source each of electric power and natural gas. A significant interruption or change in service or rates from our energy suppliers could materially impact our production costs, margins and profitability.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This report contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. As a general matter, forward-looking statements relate to anticipated trends and expectations rather than historical matters. Forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties and factors relating to our operations and business environment that are difficult to predict and may be beyond our control. Such uncertainties and factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this report, and we undertake no ongoing obligation, other than that imposed by law, to update these statements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Uncertainties and risk factors that could affect our future performance and cause results to differ from the forward-looking statements in this report include, but are not limited to:
• continued volatility of steel, iron ore and scrap metal market prices, which directly and indirectly impact the prices of the products that we sell to our customers;
• uncertainties associated with the highly competitive and cyclical steel industry and our reliance on the demand for steel from the automotive industry, which has been experiencing supply chain disruptions, such as the semiconductor shortage, and higher consumer interest rates, which could result in lower steel volumes being demanded;
• potential weaknesses and uncertainties in global economic conditions, excess global steelmaking capacity, oversupply of iron ore, prevalence of steel imports and reduced market demand, including as a result of inflationary pressures, infectious disease outbreaks, conflicts or otherwise;
• severe financial hardship, bankruptcy, temporary or permanent shutdowns or operational challenges of one or more of our major customers, including customers in the automotive market, key suppliers or contractors, which, among other adverse effects, could disrupt our operations or lead to reduced demand for our products, increased difficulty collecting receivables, and customers and/or suppliers asserting force majeure or other reasons for not performing their contractual obligations to us;
• disruptions to our operations relating to an infectious disease outbreak, including workforce challenges and the risk that novel variants will prove resistant to existing vaccines or that new or continuing pandemic lockdowns in China will impact our ability to source certain critical supplies in a timely and predictable manner;
• risks related to U.S. government actions with respect to Section 232, the USMCA and/or other trade agreements, tariffs, treaties or policies, as well as the uncertainty of obtaining and maintaining effective antidumping and countervailing duty orders to counteract the harmful effects of unfairly traded imports;
• impacts of existing and increasing governmental regulation, including potential environmental regulations relating to climate change and carbon emissions, and related costs and liabilities, including failure to receive or maintain required operating and environmental permits, approvals, modifications or other authorizations of, or from, any governmental or regulatory authority and costs related to implementing improvements to ensure compliance with regulatory changes, including potential financial assurance requirements, and reclamation and remediation obligations;
• potential impacts to the environment or exposure to hazardous substances resulting from our operations;
• our ability to maintain adequate liquidity, our level of indebtedness and the availability of capital could limit our financial flexibility and cash flow necessary to fund working capital, planned capital expenditures, acquisitions, and other general corporate purposes or ongoing needs of our business;
• our ability to reduce our indebtedness or return capital to shareholders within the currently expected timeframes or at all;
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• adverse changes in credit ratings, interest rates, foreign currency rates and tax laws, including adverse impacts as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act;
• the outcome of, and costs incurred in connection with, lawsuits, claims, arbitrations or governmental proceedings relating to commercial and business disputes, antitrust claims, environmental matters, government investigations, occupational or personal injury claims, property damage, labor and employment matters, or suits involving legacy operations and other matters;
• uncertain availability or cost, due to inflation or otherwise, of critical manufacturing equipment and spare parts;
• supply chain disruptions or changes in the cost, quality or availability of energy sources, including electricity, natural gas and diesel fuel, or critical raw materials and supplies, including iron ore, industrial gases, graphite electrodes, scrap metal, chrome, zinc, coke and metallurgical coal;
• problems or disruptions associated with transporting products to our customers, moving manufacturing inputs or products internally among our facilities, or suppliers transporting raw materials to us;
• the risk that the cost or time to implement a strategic or sustaining capital project may prove to be greater than originally anticipated;
• uncertainties associated with natural or human-caused disasters, adverse weather conditions, unanticipated geological conditions, critical equipment failures, infectious disease outbreaks, tailings dam failures and other unexpected events;
• cybersecurity incidents relating to, disruptions in, or failures of, information technology systems that are managed by us or third parties that host or have access to our data and systems, including the loss, theft or corruption of sensitive or essential business or personal information and the inability to access or control systems;
• liabilities and costs arising in connection with any business decisions to temporarily or indefinitely idle or permanently close an operating facility or mine, which could adversely impact the carrying value of associated assets and give rise to impairment charges or closure and reclamation obligations, as well as uncertainties associated with restarting any previously idled operating facility or mine;
• our level of self-insurance and our ability to obtain sufficient third-party insurance to adequately cover potential adverse events and business risks;
• uncertainties associated with our ability to meet customers’ and suppliers’ decarbonization goals and reduce our GHG emissions in alignment with our own announced targets;
• challenges to maintaining our social license to operate with our stakeholders, including the impacts of our operations on local communities, reputational impacts of operating in a carbon-intensive industry that produces GHG emissions, and our ability to foster a consistent operational and safety track record;
• our actual economic mineral reserves or reductions in current mineral reserve estimates, and any title defect or loss of any lease, license, easement or other possessory interest for any mining property;
• our ability to maintain satisfactory labor relations with unions and employees;
• unanticipated or higher costs associated with pension and OPEB obligations resulting from changes in the value of plan assets or contribution increases required for unfunded obligations;
• uncertain availability or cost of skilled workers to fill critical operational positions and potential labor shortages caused by experienced employee attrition or otherwise, as well as our ability to attract, hire, develop and retain key personnel;
• the amount and timing of any repurchases of our common shares; and
• potential significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.
For additional factors affecting our business, refer to Part II – Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q . You are urged to carefully consider these risk factors.
Forward-looking and other statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q regarding our GHG reduction plans and goals are not an indication that these statements are necessarily material to investors or required to be disclosed in our filings with the SEC. In addition, historical, current and forward-looking GHG-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, internal controls and processes that continue to evolve and assumptions that are subject to change in the future.