Hyundai bets big on steel to anchor US strategy

Hyundai Motor Group is using a $5.8 billion Louisiana steel mill as a core part of its U.S. strategy to build a local supply chain for autos, robotics, aerospace and AI data centers. Chung Euisun said the plant will start output in early 2029 and supply low-carbon steel for vehicles, humanoid robots, power-generation facilities and aerospace uses. The project is a joint venture with POSCO and is tied to Hyundai Motor Group’s broader $26 billion U.S. investment plan.

The Louisiana project is expected to produce 2.7 million tons of steel a year, including 1.8 million tons of automotive steel and 900,000 tons for general applications.

Hyundai Motor Group will hold an 80 percent stake in the project, with Hyundai Steel at 50 percent, Hyundai Motor at 15 percent and Kia at 15 percent, while POSCO will own 20 percent.

Chung said the mill will be the first dedicated automotive steel sheet mill in the U.S. based on an electric arc furnace and the first of that kind for Hyundai Steel.

The broader U.S. investment plan was announced at the White House in March 2025 and finalized at $26 billion in August 2025.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said the investment would create quality jobs and new opportunities for local businesses.

Published Sep 6, 2026 12:03 pm KST

Carmaker set to absorb steel demand for robots, rockets, AI data centers

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, Friday (local time). Yonhap

Hyundai Motor Group is betting on steel to expand its manufacturing footprint in the United States, in a strategic move to build a local supply chain that serves not just the automotive industry, but also robotics, aerospace and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

At the groundbreaking ceremony Friday (local time) for a $5.8 billion electric arc furnace steel mill being jointly constructed by Hyundai Steel and POSCO in Louisiana, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun said the facility will become a key production hub for supplying low-carbon, high-grade steel to a broad range of advanced industries in the U.S.

The strategy marks a major shift from viewing the mill as a way to shield Hyundai Steel's U.S. operations from the 50 percent tariff on imported steel. Instead, the group plans to use the facility as a foundation for expanding its manufacturing value chain in the world's largest economy.

Chung said the plant will begin producing steel in early 2029, supplying automotive sheets as well as materials for humanoid robots, AI data centers, power-generation facilities and aerospace applications.

“Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel (HPLS) will be the first dedicated automotive steel sheet mill in the U.S. based on an electric arc furnace, and it is also a first for Hyundai Steel," Chung said at the ceremony.

"By combining direct reduced iron and electric arc furnace technologies, we will produce premium low-carbon steel, which will be used for next-generation mobility by Hyundai Motor and Kia, as well as other automakers, and for AI data centers and power-generation facilities," he said.

Chung also pointed to potential demand from Hyundai Motor Group's robotics business and the U.S. space industry.

"We will, of course, apply high-value-added steel produced at the HPLS electric arc furnace mill to our humanoid robot, the Atlas," he said. "In the future, I hope we can also supply it to SpaceX or for rockets."

The remarks underscore Hyundai's ambition to tap into growing demand for high-value steel generated by America's expanding advanced manufacturing industries, rather than relying solely on the automotive sector.

The HPLS project is the first major initiative to move forward under Hyundai Motor Group's U.S. investment plan, which was announced by Chung at the White House in March 2025 and finalized at $26 billion in August the same year.

A large banner celebrating groundbreaking for the Hyundai Steel-POSCO Louisiana electric arc furnace steel mill is displayed at the HPLS site in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, Friday (local time). Yonhap

The facility is expected to produce 2.7 million tons of steel annually, including 1.8 million tons of automotive steel — enough to manufacture roughly 2.7 million vehicles — and 900,000 tons for general applications.

Hyundai Motor Group will hold an 80 percent stake in the project, including Hyundai Steel's 50 percent, Hyundai Motor's 15 percent and Kia's 15 percent, while POSCO will own the remaining 20 percent.

"This is not simply a plant investment," Chung said. "It is an investment in strengthening America's manufacturing leadership and in the local community of Louisiana."

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a prominent ally of U.S. President Donald Trump who has also been tapped as the administration's special envoy to Greenland, welcomed the project, saying Hyundai Steel's investment would create quality jobs and provide new opportunities for local businesses.

The project is expected to give Hyundai and Kia greater flexibility in sourcing steel locally, while strengthening their ability to respond to trade barriers and rising demand for locally manufactured products.

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现代汽车集团正斥资58亿美元在路易斯安那州兴建一座钢铁厂，作为其美国战略的核心组成部分，旨在构建覆盖汽车、机器人、航空航天和人工智能数据中心的本地供应链。郑义宣表示，该工厂将于2029年初投产，为汽车、人形机器人、发电设施和航空航天领域供应低碳钢。该项目是现代汽车集团与浦项钢铁（POSCO）的合资项目，也是现代汽车集团260亿美元美国投资计划的一部分。

路易斯安那州的这个项目预计每年将生产 270 万吨钢铁，其中包括 180 万吨汽车用钢和 90 万吨通用用钢。

现代汽车集团将持有该项目 80% 的股份，现代钢铁持有 50% 的股份，现代汽车持有 15% 的股份，起亚汽车持有 15% 的股份，而浦项钢铁将持有 20% 的股份。

Chung表示，该钢厂将是美国第一家采用电弧炉的专用汽车钢板厂，也是现代钢铁的第一家此类钢厂。

美国更广泛的投资计划于 2025 年 3 月在白宫宣布，并于 2025 年 8 月最终确定为 260 亿美元。

路易斯安那州州长杰夫·兰德里表示，这项投资将创造高质量的就业岗位，并为当地企业带来新的机遇。

发布于2026年9月6日下午12:03（韩国标准时间）

汽车制造商将满足机器人、火箭和人工智能数据中心对钢铁的需求

现代汽车集团执行董事长郑义宣于周五（当地时间）在路易斯安那州唐纳森维尔举行的现代-浦项制铁路易斯安那钢铁厂奠基仪式上发表讲话。（韩联社）

现代汽车集团正押注钢铁，以扩大其在美国的生产规模。此举旨在建立一条本地供应链，不仅服务于汽车行业，还服务于机器人、航空航天和人工智能 (AI) 数据中心。

在现代钢铁和浦项钢铁公司于路易斯安那州联合建设的价值58亿美元的电弧炉炼钢厂的奠基仪式上（当地时间周五），现代汽车集团执行董事长郑义宣表示，该工厂将成为向美国众多先进产业供应低碳、高品质钢材的重要生产中心。

这一战略标志着现代钢铁集团的战略发生了重大转变，不再将该钢厂视为保护其美国业务免受50%进口钢材关税影响的手段，而是计划将其作为拓展其在世界最大经济体——美国——制造业价值链的基础。

钟先生表示，该工厂将于 2029 年初开始生产钢铁，为汽车行业供应钢材，并为类人机器人、人工智能数据中心、发电设施和航空航天应用提供材料。

“现代-浦项路易斯安那钢铁公司（HPLS）将成为美国第一家采用电弧炉的专用汽车钢板厂，对现代钢铁来说也是第一次，”郑在仪式上说。

“通过结合直接还原铁和电弧炉技术，我们将生产优质低碳钢，这些钢将用于现代汽车、起亚汽车以及其他汽车制造商的下一代移动出行，以及人工智能数据中心和发电设施，”他说道。

郑先生还指出，现代汽车集团的机器人业务和美国航天工业也存在潜在需求。

“我们当然会将HPLS电弧炉钢厂生产的高附加值钢材应用于我们的人形机器人Atlas，”他说道。“未来，我希望我们也能将其供应给SpaceX公司或用于火箭制造。”

这些言论凸显了现代汽车的雄心壮志，即利用美国不断发展的先进制造业对高价值钢铁日益增长的需求，而不是仅仅依赖汽车行业。

HPLS 项目是现代汽车集团美国投资计划下推进的首个重大举措。该计划由郑义宣于 2025 年 3 月在白宫宣布，并于同年 8 月最终确定投资额为 260 亿美元。

周五（当地时间），在路易斯安那州唐纳森维尔的现代钢铁-浦项制铁路易斯安那电弧炉炼钢厂（HPLS）工地，一幅庆祝该项目破土动工的大型横幅格外引人注目。（韩联社）

该工厂预计每年可生产 270 万吨钢铁，其中包括 180 万吨汽车用钢（足以制造约 270 万辆汽车）和 90 万吨通用用钢。

现代汽车集团将持有该项目 80% 的股份，其中包括现代钢铁的 50%、现代汽车的 15% 和起亚的 15%，而浦项钢铁将持有剩余的 20%。

“这不仅仅是一项工厂投资，”钟先生说，“这是一项旨在加强美国制造业领导地位以及路易斯安那州当地社区的投资。”

路易斯安那州州长杰夫·兰德里是美国总统唐纳德·特朗普的重要盟友，他也被任命为美国政府的格陵兰岛特使。兰德里对该项目表示欢迎，称现代钢铁的投资将创造高质量的就业机会，并为当地企业提供新的机遇。

该项目有望使现代和起亚在本地采购钢铁方面拥有更大的灵活性，同时增强它们应对贸易壁垒和对本地制造产品日益增长的需求的能力。

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