"Thanks for the opportunity," Brenda Stenta, Algoma's manager of communications and branding, told SooToday on Tuesday, responding to our request for information about the company's strategy for dealing with the inevitable and ongoing cyclicities of the steel business. "It would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time as we are in a blackout period following the close of the third quarter," Stenta told us. Algoma's third quarter ended Dec. 31. Blackout periods coinciding with the end of fiscal quarters are usually lifted shortly after earnings are made public. A fiscal update released by Algoma CEO Michael McQuade two weeks ago may provide some additional context. "Our steel inventory has increased, and we expect to ship these deferred tons over the next two fiscal quarters," McQuade said. Planned shipments were 40,000 to 60,000 tons lower than expected, he said.