NLMK Europe, the European unit of the Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), has announced its intention to close the electro-galvanizing facility located in Beautor, France, amid the shrinking global market for electro-galvanized steel due to the strong decline of demand for automotive applications, and to focus on hot dip galvanized and pre-painted in its strip product coating business. During the coming months the company and unions will work on possible solutions as well as on a possible social plan to support affected workers. NLMK Europe also stated that the hot dip galvanizing and pre-painted lines based in Strasbourg, France will not be impacted.