ArcelorMittal Europe CEO Geert Van Poelvoorde has called for the EU to support emergency trade measures, as well as for a firm action plan to support steelmaking in Europe
Van Poelvoorde, speaking Sept. 30 at the 20th anniversary of ArcelorMittal Poland, said European steelmakers were under pressure from high costs and the volume of subsidized, cheap imports flooding the market.
“As a result, the European steel industry will continue to shrink. But with the right policies in place to support us, we can thrive — and our industry can continue to be the foundation of European industry — in a new era,” he said.
Van Poelvoorde called on Poland for its support as it prepared to hold the Presidency of the European Council in the first half of 2025, saying it would be a critical time for determining the future of European steel as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism legislation was finalized.
CBAM would determine European steelmakers’ ability to continue to produce steel competitively, while also being able to make the investments needed to decarbonize, Van Poelvoorde said.
“I am sure that we can count on Poland’s support to translate the Commission’s ambitions into an effective policy to support the industry’s decarbonization, and to introduce much-needed emergency trade measures for the steel sector.”
H1 2025 would be “crucial to define the European Commission’s steel and metals action plan, the Clean Industrial Deal and to decide on the measures necessary to create a level playing field needed in Europe.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that the decisions that Europe and its member states will take next year, will decide on the future size of European industry and the steel industry,” he said.
Van Poelvoorde said there had never before been a mission by a proposed Commissioner for Prosperity and Industrial Policy, Stephane Sejourne, that included the development of a steel and metals action plan and ArcelorMittal looked forward to seeing the detailed plan to understand how it would support steelmaking in Europe.
“I am happy to hear that our cries for a new Industrial Deal for Europe seem to have been listened to and I will continue to advocate for strong, faster action to safeguard our industry against the threats it faces,” he said.
Van Poelvoorde said Europe had to define which role it wanted to play in the future, as it was impossible to remain an economic powerhouse without a strong industry and specifically, a strong steel industry.
“Decarbonizing by deindustrializing is not a solution for Europe, not for the world and certainly not for the climate and our planet,” he said.
ArcelorMittal Poland is the biggest steel producer in the Polish market, accounting for almost 50% of production capacity in the country.
The company consists of five steel plants located in Krakow, Dabrowa Gornicza, Sosnowiec, Swietochlowice and Chorzow.
Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed domestic HRC prices in Northern Europe at Eur545 ($605) per metric ton ex-works Ruhr on Sept. 30, down 21% since the start of 2024.
