Philippe Jean-Francis Meyran, president of global steelmaker ArcelorMittal’s operations in Spain, has questioned whether the new trade measures to be implemented in the EU as of July 2026 will be sufficient to protect the European steel industry, according to local media outlets.
Meyran: The past 15 years were “years of slow death” for the sector
Speaking at the Second Industry Conference organized by the People’s Party (PP) at the Avilés Chamber of Commerce, Meyran referred to the EU’s planned new trade shield, under which tariffs on steel imports exceeding permitted quotas will be doubled from 25 percent to 50 percent. Despite these measures, Meyran stated that uncertainty stemming from armed conflicts and other global developments is expected to make the end of the current fiscal year “less active.” He added that the past 15 years had “basically been years of slow death” for the sector, noting that steel imports accounted for 22 percent of consumption in Spain in 2012, while this share exceeded 50 percent last year.
Meyran said that, at the European level, the industry had previously been guided by “very nice ideas,” adding that this approach has now changed with greater awareness of the need for measures to safeguard the steel industry.
Commenting on ArcelorMittal’s decarbonization process, Meyran stated that electric arc furnace technology has existed for years, but had not been widely adopted because it is more expensive than the blast furnace-based production model. “What manufacturer is going to invest in producing at a higher cost and selling at the same price? Nobody,” he said.
Meyran also underlined that political decisions can influence key factors such as electricity prices, which he said are significantly higher in the EU than in neighboring regions. He added that regulatory stability is also essential, since changes in rules create uncertainty for an industry that must make investments with a 15-20 year horizon.
Blast furnace B in Gijón restarted
Meanwhile, ArcelorMittal restarted blast furnace B at its Gijón plant in Asturias, Spain, on May 11 following successful pressure tests. The unit, which is of key importance for the industry in the Asturias region, had been idle for around six months due to a technical malfunction, as SteelOrbis previously reported.
In February, ArcelorMittal was forced to cool down and empty the furnace following an unsuccessful attempt to restart it safely. Although the restart had initially been expected by the end of June, repair works were accelerated. Blast furnace B is expected to reach full capacity within a month of the restart and to operate alongside blast furnace A, coinciding with the anticipated improvement in European steel demand amid the introduction of new EU protective measures.