Union Pacific Welded Rail from China/Japan

A few years ago “TRAINS Magazine” had an article about UP getting its ribbon welded rail from a ship via Japan/China. Now the Chinese tariffs they move production back to North America.

With a company with a United States shield logo why would they have their rail rolled in a foreign land to begin with? I was disappointed to read that a few years back. Especially with all the steel still produced in the Unites States...

Steel is a global commodity, I believe.

freightguy wrote:A few years ago “TRAINS Magazine” had an article about UP getting its ribbon welded rail from a ship via Japan/China. Now the Chinese tariffs they move production back to North America.

With a company with a United States shield logo why would they have their rail rolled in a foreign land to begin with? I was disappointed to read that a few years back. Especially with all the steel still produced in the Unites States...

I’m pretty sure there’s an existing thread about this on the forum, but there isn’t a mill in the US who can make the long rails UP wants. https://www.up.com/aboutup/community/in ... 7-2015.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is most likely being used on UP's southern Transconn east of El Paso Tx eastward toward Alpine Tx as the first section
of this super heat hardened imported rail.

In a word, money talks.

DISCLAIMER: I have an IRA position in UNP.