Switzerland-based steelmaker Stahl Gerlafingen, a part of Italian merchant bar producer Beltrame Group, is considering shutting down one of its production lines in order to survive in the current “unfair” market conditions, according to local media reports.
The company said that wide flat steel production in Switzerland is no longer profitable due to high energy costs and the unfair imports in the EU, with which Switzerland has a free trade agreement. Thus, imports from the EU to the country are possible without restriction and this causes a major price war. In some cases, Stahl Gerlafingen is unable to compete with the delivery times of third countries under the steel quotas, which is why the company feels compelled to close its steel profile line. Even though the final decision is yet to be made, Alain Creteur, CEO of Stahl Gerlafingen, said that steel exports to the EU should be banned.
