ArcelorMittal considers closing a specialized unit at its plant in Ghent

ArcelorMittal is considering the permanent closure of its Tailored Blanks division in Ghent, Belgium, and has begun consultations with trade unions, according to Belgian HLN.

Tailored Blanks is responsible for manufacturing custom-made blanks, which are mainly used in the automotive industry, in particular for car bodies and structural parts. However, this activity has suffered from the downturn in the European automotive sector, accompanied by a significant decline in production volumes, reduced margins, and accumulated losses over several years.

According to trade unions, around 90 jobs are at risk.

As ABVV union secretary Frank Van Drosselaar noted, the reality is that since the COVID-19 crisis, the automotive industry looks completely different. In 2020 and 2024, the company already restructured Tailored Blanks to make this division profitable again, but this did not work out – this sector has high fixed costs.

As reported in November last year, ArcelorMittal Belgium is not yet ready to implement the largest climate investment project in the country’s history at its plant in Ghent. This was announced by the CEO of the Belgian division, Frederik Van De Velde. The initiative, announced in 2021, involves a complete transition from traditional blast furnaces to direct reduced iron (DRI) technology and electric arc furnaces. The investment is estimated at approximately €2 billion.