Alexander Julius elected President of EUROMETAL
Today, EUROMETAL’s members convened for a General Assembly to elect the new Presidency Board for the 2025-2027 term.
The newly elected board features many familiar faces and welcomes representation from the national federations of Italy (Assofermet) and Poland (PUDS).
The new EUROMETAL Presidency Board is as follows:
• Alexander Julius (Macrometal) – President
• Robert Kay (Ferona) – 1st Vice President
• Roberto Gonzalez (UAHE) – Vice President
• Thomas Niederhofer (Knauf Interfer) – Vice President
• Fernando Espada (Former President) – Vice President
Members of the Board:
• Cédric Bouzar (Arcelormittal DS)
• Julian Verden (Stemcor)
• Laurent Noirclerc (FFDM)
• Lorenzo Biagi (Marcegaglia)
• Norbert Thumfart (ARGE)
• Paolo Sangoi / Tommaso Sandrini (Assofermet)
• Piotr Sikorski (PUDS)
• Philippe Jaud (Tata Steel Europe)
• Tayfun İşeri (YISAD)
Assofermet launches AD duties calculation platform
Italian steel trade association Assofermet has launched a new calculation platform aimed at coil buyers, enabling them to assess potential anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties as part of European Commission investigations, Kallanish learns from an association spokesperson.
This initiative is to support members’ understanding of the EU regulations regarding anti-dumping investigations.
The calculator assists in evaluating the potential timing and imposition of duties. The complexities of EU legislation concerning AD and anti-subsidy investigations present significant challenges, particularly given the definitive, provisional and retroactive nature of duties.
The organisation says its calculator can help members understand whether duties would be imposed and when within a three-minute timeframe.
“At an institutional level, we continue to underline the damage caused by restrictions on steel imports on the Italian and European markets, but on the other hand, we believe it is essential to help associated companies to better navigate the complex current regulatory landscape,” says Luca Carbonoli, director of Assofermet in a note.
In a note sent to Kallanish the association has issued a caution regarding two ongoing investigations: AD705 related to tinplate and AD715 concerning flat steels.
Natalia Capra France
Europe needs emergency trade measures, CBAM adjustment: Lakshmi Mittal
Supportive and clear policy, currently lacking, would quickly activate considerable green transition investments in Europe’s steel industry, with emergency trade measures and adjustments to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) being the priorities, according to ArcelorMittal executive chairman Lakshmi Mittal.
Imports must be addressed first. “Intervention is required so that European steel is better protected, as in the US and Brazil where the industry is considered strategic. Emergency trade measures would be a strong first signal to address this,” Mittal tells the Financial Times.
Trade might be free, but it is not fair, he argues. “Enabling fair trade takes on a new dimension when Europe is the only major market with a cost on carbon,” he continues. Although it was assumed that everyone would follow Europe’s lead in decarbonising, this has not happened, and Europe’s competitiveness in international manufacturing sectors is declining.
“CBAM must not allow steel imports from countries that circumvent climate protection by selling into Europe from a few ‘clean’ installations while selling their higher emissions steel into domestic and non-EU markets,” Mittal adds. Currently, it is “inadequately” designed.
Europe must make a choice on whether it wants to produce iron and steel, Mittal continues, or whether it wants to import it, potentially with a higher carbon footprint.
ArcelorMittal announced last week it was suspending decarbonisation investments in Europe due to unfavourable policy, energy and market environments.
The lack of a supportive policy environment is the reason why ArcelorMittal cannot take final investment decisions on projects to replace blast furnaces with lower-carbon technology at this point in time, Mittal explains.
On his suggestions for trade measures and CBAM adjustment, Mittal concludes: “I don’t pretend this is straightforward, but the challenge is political as much as mechanical. With new leadership in Brussels, and both the clean industrial deal and the steel and metals action plan under development, the time to act is now.”
The European Commission’s new industrial chief, Stéphane Séjourné, reiterated this week that the Commission will look into ways to extend measures to limit steel imports as part of an overall plan to protect the sector as it decarbonises.
Adam Smith Poland