After media reports suggested that the European Commission is considering a ban on the import of semi-finished products from Russia, European plate rollers have said that the ban on the import of Russian semi-finished products will lead to severe disorganization of the regional market for heavy plates. The letter to the European Commission was signed by Rerollers Platform members Marcegaglia, Pittini, Officine Tecnosider, Laminoirs des Landes, Vitkovice Steel, Network Steel, Duferco, Dunaferr and NLMK Belgium Holdings. They wrote “Instrumentalising political arguments in what is essentially an economic and competitive issue, integrated producer’s are promoting an import ban on semi-finished steel products from Russia, trying to push the rerolling business out of the market.”Previously, 80% of steel semi-finished products imported to the EU were produced in the Russian Federation or Ukraine. Rerollers do not see an alternative to Russian products, arguing that European plants and producers from third countries cannot provide stable supplies. Several sanctioned plants in Iran and American producers supplying the US and Mexican markets are considering as available alternatives.To date, the EU has imposed sanctions against Russian supplies of finished metal products, but did not touch the supply of Russian steel slabs, given the strong dependence of its own metallurgical sector on Russian semi-finished products.
After media reports suggested that the European Commission is considering a ban on the import of semi-finished products from Russia, European plate rollers have said that the ban on the import of Russian semi-finished products will lead to severe disorganization of the regional market for heavy plates. The letter to the European Commission was signed by Rerollers Platform members Marcegaglia, Pittini, Officine Tecnosider, Laminoirs des Landes, Vitkovice Steel, Network Steel, Duferco, Dunaferr and NLMK Belgium Holdings. They wrote “Instrumentalising political arguments in what is essentially an economic and competitive issue, integrated producer’s are promoting an import ban on semi-finished steel products from Russia, trying to push the rerolling business out of the market.”Previously, 80% of steel semi-finished products imported to the EU were produced in the Russian Federation or Ukraine. Rerollers do not see an alternative to Russian products, arguing that European plants and producers from third countries cannot provide stable supplies. Several sanctioned plants in Iran and American producers supplying the US and Mexican markets are considering as available alternatives.To date, the EU has imposed sanctions against Russian supplies of finished metal products, but did not touch the supply of Russian steel slabs, given the strong dependence of its own metallurgical sector on Russian semi-finished products.
