ArcelorMittal reviews 5.600 EU roles, Luxembourg impact unknown
ArcelorMittal Europe has opened a new review of support functions that a European works council member said could cover 5.600 roles, about 11% of the company’s 48.500-strong European workforce, with Luxembourg exposure still undisclosed.
The European arm of Luxembourg-headquartered ArcelorMittal, one of the world’s largest steel and mining groups, has launched a fresh phase of internal assessment into an efficiency drive covering support functions such as information technology, logistics and maintenance, a review that a member of the European works council claimed could place up to 5.600 roles across 20 European countries within scope.
The council member added the initiative was discussed during an extraordinary meeting held remotely last week and described it as a new phase of analysis into reshaping support functions across the group’s European entities, including potential relocations alongside other restructuring options.
On the basis of ArcelorMittal’s European headcount of 48.500 at the end of 2024, the perimeter under review would equate to about 11% of its European workforce.
Contacted by Paperjam, a representative of ArcelorMittal confirmed the review but did not confirm any numbers. The representative said ArcelorMittal Europe was looking into the possibility of expanding the scope of its project to transform support functions “with the goal of ensuring optimisation and standardisation of activities which are currently fragmented across a large number of sites in Europe”. The representative declined to comment on whether roles in Luxembourg were part of the assessment.
The steelmaker disclosed that the work included the creation of a “business services hub in India” and the expansion of its “business centre of excellence in Poland”. It said the objective was to support a sustainable business model for ArcelorMittal Europe by aligning the company’s performance with other major companies and using global talent, modern processes and advanced IT and AI to deliver “reliable, high-quality service”.
The review comes as European steelmakers face weaker demand in core end-markets such as automotive and construction, alongside intensifying pressure from imports, particularly from Asia and China, where production is sold at significantly lower prices.
According to national statistics bureau Statec, ArcelorMittal had 3.520 employees in Luxembourg on 1 January 2025, making it likely that at least some Luxembourg-based roles could ultimately be affected through relocation or being removed altogether, even if the company has not confirmed any local exposure.
A further meeting is scheduled for 26 February at ArcelorMittal’s Luxembourg headquarters. The company representative told Paperjam that more details would be shared at the appropriate stage but did not provide a timeframe.
ArcelorMittal responds to ADI mismanagement lawsuit with €1.8 bln damage claim
ArcelorMittal has responded to a €7 billion ($8.4 billion) lawsuit from Acciaierie d’Italia (ADI) with a €1.8 billion damage claim, the company said on Thursday January 29.
The claim, filed by ADI’s extraordinary administration on January 12, 2026 with a writ of summons before the Court of Milan, alleges that ArcelorMittal induced ADI directors and local management to engage in mismanagement as part of a unified strategy to run down production, destroy the business and extract profits from Italy, causing damages estimated at approximately €7 billion.
ArcelorMittal categorically denied all these allegations, including claims that it unlawfully influenced management decisions or acted to the detriment of ADI and its holding company, Acciaierie d’Italia Holding SpA (ADIH).
The company said that since 2021 ADIH has been under joint and equal control with Invitalia, which is wholly owned by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance and was appointed by the Italian government to implement a public-private partnership aimed at relaunching and acquiring Ilva’s business.
ArcelorMittal said it fulfilled all its contractual obligations, invested around €2 billion in the business and did not illicitly influence local management. It added that a significant share of that investment was directed toward implementing the environmental plan required to comply with Italy’s Integrated Environmental Authorization (AIA).
The operating environment deteriorated shortly after the transaction closed, according to the company, due to what it described as adversarial conduct by Invitalia and legislative interventions by the Italian government.
ArcelorMittal added that in June 2025 it initiated international arbitration against Italy, alleging unlawful expropriation and unfair and discriminatory treatment.
“These actions caused serious harm to ArcelorMittal, leading to the loss of its investments and adversely affecting its broader interests in Europe, resulting in an overall damage claim exceeding €1.8 billion,” ArcelorMittal’s statement reads.
ADI representatives declined to comment when contacted by Fastmarkets on Friday January 30.
Background
ArcelorMittal acquired ADI, which was known as Ilva at the time, in 2018 when it took a 94.4% stake.
In 2019, less than a year after ArcelorMittal began leasing the assets, the government removed legal protections that the company said were necessary to implement the environmental plan without criminal liability. ArcelorMittal said this prevented the fulfillment of conditions precedent and led to its withdrawal from the lease agreement.
The withdrawal was later settled through an agreement with Invitalia, which subsequently assumed joint control of ADI.
Since 2021, ArcelorMittal’s share has been reduced to 62%, with Invitalia, the National Agency for Inward Investment and Economic Development owned by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, holding the remaining 38%.
The Italian government took over the administration of ADI from ArcelorMittal in February 2024, Fastmarkets reported. ArcelorMittal said the move substantially expropriated its investment.
ADI is the largest steelmaker in Italy, with installed capacity for 8 million tonnes per year of pig iron and 10 million tpy of crude steel. But the steelworks produced just 3 million tonnes of steel in 2023, below the target of 4 million tonnes. In 2024, the company produced less than 2 million tonnes of steel, market sources said.
ADI was officially put up for sale by the Italian government in August 2024.
Multiple groups have expressed interest, with reports highlighting participants such as Baku Steel, Jindal Steel International and others.
European HRC buyers show limited acceptance of higher prices
Hot-rolled coil buyers from Europe are gradually accepting higher prices from local suppliers, but the pace is moderate as customers’ inventories and port stocks are ample, Fastmarkets heard on Friday January 30.
Offers from integrated mills in Northern Europe come at €670-685 ($801-819) per tonne ex-works for April delivery coil with sporadic bookings heard done at the level of €650 per tonne ex-works.
March-delivery HRC was heard to be largely sold out, with only limited availability left at some suppliers. Offers were heard coming at €650 per tonne ex-works.
Fastmarkets’ daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe was €650.00 ($777.60) per tonne on Friday, down by €5.83 per tonne from €655.83 per tonne on January 29.
The drop in the assessment reflected buyers at a crossroads, with current inventories and port stocks said to be sufficient, rather than indicating a trend reversal.
The index was up by €7.5 per tonne week on week and by €22.5 per tonne month on month.
In Italy, domestic HRC offers were reported varying within the range of €630-650 per tonne ex-works on Friday, with recent bookings said to be done within the range of €630-635 per tonne ex-works.
No major bookings were reported during the day.
Fastmarkets’ daily steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Italy was calculated at €638.00 per tonne on Friday, January 30 versus€ 643.33 per tonne on Thursday, reducing by €5.33 day on day.
The index was up by €3.00 per tonne week on week and by €14.88 per tonne month on month.
Becker Group appoints Torsten Gieseke as new CEO
As of 1 February 2026, Becker Stahl-Service GmbH has appointed Torsten Gieseke as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
In his new role, Torsten Gieseke will also join the management boards of the group’s subsidiaries, Becker Aluminium-Service GmbH and Umformtechnik Stendal GmbH, further strengthening strategic alignment across the Becker Group.
Torsten Gieseke succeeds Guido Kerkhoff, who had been serving as interim CEO of the Becker Group in addition to his responsibilities as CEO of Klöckner & Co SE, the parent company of the Becker Group.
With more than 20 years of experience in the steel and automotive sectors, Torsten Gieseke brings extensive industry knowledge and recognised expertise to the role. His appointment marks an important step in ensuring continuity and supporting the group’s future development.
Going forward, the management of the Becker Group will be led by a three-member executive team consisting of Torsten Gieseke (CEO), Joerg Kaib (CFO) and Bernd Guttek (COO).