ArcelorMittal confirms to Kallanish that output from its hot-strip mill at its plant in Fos-sur-Mer has been reduced during recent weeks, due to the impact of strikes at the nearby port of Marseilles.
The company has been hit primarily by delays to shipments as the site delivers up to 65% of orders by sea and alternative shipment routes are not able to absorb the current delays.
“To date, we have had sufficient raw material stocks to allow us to cope with the slower rate of raw materials being unloaded in the port,” the company said. “But the yards where we store our finished products have almost reached their maximum capacity, so we have slowed the hot strip mill as a result.”
“Currently, there is no clear view on when the situation will be resolved, but we remain hopeful that the worst is behind us. Should the situation continue as it has been in recent weeks, we would continue to slow down production to accommodate the shipment delays,” ArcelorMittal says.
