ArcelorMittal Poland, a subsidiary of Luxembourg-based steel giant ArcelorMittal, has announced that it will temporarily shut down the blast furnace (BF) No. 3 at its Dąbrowa Górnicza plant. The decision comes amid rapidly deteriorating market conditions and a significant decline in steel profitability.
The company cited a combination of skyrocketing energy prices, rising carbon allowance costs under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), and insufficient protective trade measures as key reasons behind the move. These pressures have led to an influx of low-priced imported steel, further eroding margins and rendering dual blast furnace operation economically unviable.
Steel imports surge as domestic margins squeeze
According to data from Poland’s Steel Chamber of Industry and Commerce, imported steel products account for 80 percent of the country’s apparent steel consumption. In the flat products segment, the share rises to a staggering 95 percent.
Significant increases in flat steel shipments have been recorded from Ukraine and Serbia, with Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan also emerging as notable exporters to Poland.
Shutdown process begins, September closure expected
ArcelorMittal Poland has initiated preparatory works for the planned suspension of operations, which will take several weeks to complete. The shutdown of BF No. 3 is expected to take place in September 2025, though the company emphasized that it will closely monitor market dynamics to determine a potential restart date.
Currently, two blast furnaces are operational at the Dąbrowa Górnicza plant. Notably, BF No. 3 was also idled in October 2022 due to similar economic factors and restarted in January 2023 when market conditions briefly improved.