Euro area industrial producer prices down 1.6 percent in March from February
According to a report released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, in March this year industrial producer prices went down by 1.6 percent in the euro area and the European Union member states (EU), month on month. On year-on-year basis, in the given month, industrial producer prices increased by 1.9 percent in the euro area and by 2.1 percent in the EU.
In March, compared with February, prices in the energy sector were down by 5.8 percent in the euro area and by 5.5 percent in the EU. Prices of capital goods increased by 0.1 percent in the euro area and remained stable in the EU, while prices of durable goods went up by 0.2 percent in the euro area and by 0.1 percent in the EU countries, month on month. In the same month, prices of non-durable goods increased by 0.5 percent in both areas, while prices of intermediate goods went unchanged in the euro area and increased by 0.1 percent in the EU, all on month-on-month basis.
Among member states for which data are available, the largest month-on-month increases in industrial producer prices were recorded in Greece (+1.3%), Luxembourg (+0.9%) and Slovenia (+0.6%), while the largest decreases were observed in Estonia (-8.0%), Spain (-3.9%), and Italy (-3.3%).
In the given month, compared with March 2024, prices in the energy sector increased by 3.8 percent in the euro area and by 4.1 percent in the EU. Prices of intermediate goods went up by 0.8 percent in the euro area and 0.9 percent in the EU, while prices of durable goods were up by 0.9 percent in the euro area and by one percent in the EU countries, all on year-on-year basis. In the same month, prices of non-durable goods moved up by 1.7 percent in the euro area and by 1.9 percent in the EU, year on year. Prices of capital goods rose by 1.8 percent in the euro area and by 1.7 percent in the EU, year on year.
Among member states for which data are available, the largest year-on-year increases were recorded in Bulgaria (+22.0%), Ireland (+10.6%) and Denmark (+10.2%), while Luxembourg (-4.5%), Portugal (-1.0%) and France and Lithuania (both -0.6%) posted the biggest declines.
Tosyalı Holding abandons its bid to acquire Liberty Steel in Dudelange
After months and even years of uncertainty, doubt and false hope, the employees of Liberty Steel in Dudelange are facing a new blow. Tosyalı Holding, which had planned to take over the plant, has announced that it is withdrawing, confirmed by the economy and labour ministries.
“It’s catastrophic, it’s another blow to the 130 employees at the site,” said OBL central secretary Stefano Araujo on 7 May when contacted by Paperjam. “They feel lost and abandoned.” While no official information has confirmed or denied this, rumours in the corridors and an article published by our colleagues at L’Essentiel have announced the withdrawal of the identified buyer of the Liberty Steel site in Dudelange, Tosyalı Holding.
This news has now been confirmed following the joint response, to Paperjam, from the economy and labour ministries.
“On the evening of 6 May 2025, economy minister Lex Delles (DP) and labour minister Georges Mischo (CSV) were informed that the Tosyalı Group is withdrawing from the process of acquiring Liberty Steel’s plants in Dudelange,” wrote Delles’s communications team.
“It was undoubtedly the best candidate, with a transfer of activity, the retention of employees, a willingness to invest in the site and a long-term business plan,” commented Robert Fornieri, a member of the LCGB management committee. “If this is confirmed, we would be in the worst possible situation for the employees and for the site in Dudelange.”
The Dudelange site mentioned in an interview
In the statement, the economy ministry added: “The Tosyalı group states that it has taken this decision as part of its ‘due diligence’ procedure following the recent adaptations by the European Union of the safeguard measures on imports of steel from third countries [editor’s note: measures which will expire in June 2026]. The ministers deplore the fact that the Tosyalı group has taken this decision despite the efforts made over the last few months to support the resumption of activities at Dudelange.”
As a result, the Turkish group’s development prospects would have been hampered by its inability to import production from its other plants. Tosyalı Holding did not yet have a presence in Europe, and the acquisition of Liberty Steel in Dudelange was intended to be its first presence on the Old Continent. “But between the sale imposed at the time by the European Commission–forcing ArcelorMittal to sell the site to Liberty Steel–and this latest U-turn… that’s twice now that Brussels has put obstacles in the way of European industry,” said Fornieri.
“Two weeks ago, in an interview transcribed on a specialist media outlet, the CEO of Tosyalı Holding confirmed that they were still in negotiations for a new purchase with Luxembourg,” said Araujo. “So it’s really hard to understand this turnaround.”
“Thanks to our intervention, all the parameters of this establishment will also change,” said Fuat Tosyalı in that interview, referring to the Dudelange site.
What does the future hold?
“Now we’re set back almost four years–we’ve lost an incredible amount of time,” Fornieri said. “The worst thing, of course, is the situation for the remaining 130 employees. Some have turned down jobs in the hope of finding their way back to Dudelange and there is still a legal loophole by which some cross-border employees are still not receiving unemployment benefits.”
Another point raised by Araujo: the future of the site. “Should employees continue to maintain the machines with a view to a possible takeover by another buyer? And if no buyer is found, what will become of the debts accumulated by Liberty Steel–will it be Luxembourg taxpayers who have to pay them back?”
The government is equally concerned, with the services of the labour minister and unemployment agency Adem remaining “mobilised to help former employees find new jobs,” said Delles’s communications team, adding: “It is also up to the trustee to decide what action to take as part of the bankruptcy proceedings.”
Hydnum to supply Kingspan with low-emissions steel
Hydnum Steel (HS) will supply Ireland-based building materials company Kingspan Group with low-emission flat steel, Kallanish learns from the prospective Spanish steelmaker. The companies will also collaborate to guarantee the most efficient logistics and circular economy solutions for ferrous scrap.
Kingspan is a high-performance building envelope and insulation solutions company with 273 manufacturing plants in more than 80 countries globally.
“For both companies, it’s not just about being part of the decarbonisation process, but leading it. This partnership shows it’s possible to reinvent the industry with a more human and planet-friendly approach,” says HS chief executive Eva Maneiro. “Through this alliance, our Puertollano plant will supply 100% green flat steel, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of one of the most emissions-intensive sectors.”
The collaboration supports Kingspan’s efforts to lower the environmental footprint of its building materials as part of its Planet Passionate sustainability programme.
“We’re working at pace to reduce the carbon footprint of our supply chain and product portfolio, but also to help accelerate the change in the steel industry, which will be critical to enabling the longer-term decarbonisation of the built environment,” adds Kingspan procurement director Mark Broderick.
HS is building the first “green” steel mill on the Iberian Peninsula. The facility, located in Puertollano, in the Castilla-La Mancha region, is designed to use fossil-free energy throughout the manufacturing process and will gradually incorporate green hydrogen to substantially reduce CO2 emissions.
HS aims to produce 1.5 million tonnes/year of flat steel, supplying key sectors such as automotive, construction and renewable energy. The project is valued at €1.65 billion ($1.87 billion). Construction is expected to begin by the end of 2025.
Todor Kirkov Bulgaria
Kloeckner remains unconcerned about US tariffs
Steel distribution group Klöckner & Co feels relatively immune to the impact of tariffs imposed by the US government, its chief executive Guido Kerkhoff said during a conference call on Wednesday.
The Germany-based group has operations in the USA as well as Mexico, which together make up a larger share of revenue than Klöckner’s European operations, in Germany and Switzerland. For its US sites, Klöckner sources 97% of product tonnage from US mills. Hence, “the penalty duties affect us only indirectly, if our customers are affected,” Kallanish heard from Kerkhoff. The firm’s pricing is not affected at all, he added.
Given the US government’s target of near-shoring the manufacturing industry, Klöckner’s local business range would in fact grow bigger. “We are a local player, after all,” Kerkhoff maintained.
Regarding the company’s warehouses in Mexico, 45% of the material can be sourced within Mexico, and another 25% is sourced from the USA. “Our sites are approved by the USMCA [United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement], so that we can enter the US market,” he explained. Many of Klöckner’s competitors, but also customers like some carmakers, are much more dependent on sourcing from overseas, he noted.
The company recently completed the acquisition of Haley Tool & Stamping near Nashville, Tennessee. The move expands Klöckner’s manufacturing capabilities with the addition of stamping presses, allowing it to leverage operational synergies across its locations in the region.
Christian Koehl Germany
France’s steel trade value declines in Jan–Feb
According to the statistics released by the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, in the January-February period this year France’s basic steel product and ferroalloy imports amounted to a value of €1.54 billion, decreasing by 12.4 percent year on year.
In the given period, France imported €329.28 million of steel pipes and tubes – down 9.6 percent, €87.73 million of cold rolled steel bars – down by 0.9 percent, €114.09 million of cold rolled steel strip – dropping by 10.5 percent, €82.37 million of cold drawn wire – falling by 6.6 percent, and €431.13 million of metal structures and parts – decreasing by 8.3 percent, all compared to the same period of 2024.
Exports
In the January-February period, France’s basic steel product and ferroalloy exports amounted to a value of €1.62 billion, decreasing by 3.8 percent year on year.
In the given period, France exported €210.28 million of steel pipes and tubes – down 5.5 percent, €75.12 million of cold rolled steel bars – down by 4.9 percent, €94.43 million of cold rolled steel strip – down 32.3 percent, €50.55 million of cold drawn wire – decreasing by 10.9 percent, and €141.13 million of metal structures and parts – up by 1.9 percent, all compared to the same period of 2024.