Thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel (tkES), a subsidiary of German steelmaker Thyssenkrupp, has announced significant production cutbacks and temporary shutdowns at its Gelsenkirchen (Germany) and Isbergues (France) plants, citing a dramatic rise in low-priced imports, mainly from Asia, that has destabilized Europe’s grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES) market.
Starting mid-December, both plants will fully halt production until the year-end, while the Isbergues facility will operate at only 50 percent capacity for at least four months beginning January 2026. The company warns that approximately 1,200 jobs at both sites are now at risk.
Severe pressure on the market
According to Thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel, the EU grain-oriented electrical steel market has reached a critical point:
- Imports have tripled since 2022,
- Imports increased another 50 percent in 2025,
- Imported volumes are priced far below EU production costs.
This has triggered a sharp decline in customer orders and left EU mills with substantial under-utilization of capacity. tkES says immediate stabilization measures are essential to maintain operations, despite long-term demand projections showing that global grain-oriented electrical steel consumption may triple by 2050.