ArcelorMittal resumes operations at Spanish plants

Global steel company ArcelorMittal has resumed operations at its Spanish steel mills, Kallanish reports.

The company’s facilities in the country, including the Gijon steel plant and long products divisions, were temporarily shut down in mid-December 2024 due to weak demand and competition from cheap imports.

Specific production or capacity utilization figures were not disclosed. According to an ArcelorMittal spokesperson, the company is constantly assessing market conditions and adapting to current challenges as low demand persists.

Recently, ArcelorMittal reached an agreement with the largest trade unions in Spain to introduce a new Temporary Employment Regulation Scheme (ERTE) for 2025. This measure is designed to provide flexibility in adjusting production or temporary work stoppages and will affect approximately 6.6 thousand employees.

As GMK Center reported earlier, in December, ArcelorMittal suspended wire rod production at its Verigny (Gijon) plant. This production line was already shut down for 10 days in October 2024 due to a lack of orders caused by the massive import of cheaper steel from third countries and rising energy prices.

In addition, at the end of November 2024, the company announced that it had postponed plans to invest in new direct reduced iron (DRI) plants, including the Gijon facility. The reason was unfavorable political, energy and market conditions in Europe.

Earlier, ArcelorMittal announced a production cut from December 9 to the end of 2024 due to a lack of orders at its Romanian plant, ArcelorMittal Hunedoara.