ArcelorMittal plans to restart blast furnace No.1 (BF No.1) at its Fos-sur-Mer plant in southern France in June, bringing the number of operating units at the site to two, the company said.
BF No.1 is currently undergoing maintenance aimed at extending its operational life. The plant’s other unit, BF No.2, was restarted in December 2025 after an almost three-month stoppage following a fire.
The decision to return to dual blast furnace operations reflects expectations that EU protective measures, notably import restrictions and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), will be implemented effectively to support the domestic steel industry, the company said.
The definitive phase of CBAM began on 1 January, while new EU tariff-rate quotas are expected to replace existing safeguard measures, which are set to expire on 30 June 2026.
Earlier this month, ArcelorMittal also said it had begun preparations to restart BF No.3 at its Dąbrowa Górnicza steelworks in Poland.
