The Polish steel industry is at a fairly high level, despite difficult external conditions, thanks to favorable regulation and the revival of the national steel industry. However, reducing energy consumption, which is one of the highest in Europe, and protecting the interests of steel consumers in the processing industry will be crucial for the future survival of the industry.
This was the conclusion reached by steel industry experts during Friday's European Economic Congress in Katowice, which was attended by Kallanish.
Henrik Orcikowski, executive director of the Stalprofil distribution company, even went so far as to state that "the European steel industry currently sees the greatest opportunity for future development in the 21st century," which he called a "controversial argument."
This is because politicians have recognized it as strategic for economic development and defense. It has received EU-level support measures such as CBAM and a new trade regime, and in Poland it benefits from local content regulation, a repolonization program, and infrastructure spending, he noted.
Adrian Sinicki, CEO of Huta Czestochowa, which went bankrupt under former owner Liberty and has since been acquired by the Polish government, said the plant has produced 500,000 tons of steel since "we practically got off our knees." More than 20% of this volume is exported. "We have become part of the local content supply chain, perhaps somewhat imperceptibly," he added, delivering products in demand by domestic consumers, for example, for a newly built naval vessel.
Steel industry players working in both the processing and extractive industries will need protection, with the most effective measures being "both simple and tough, regardless of products, regardless of countries[of origin]," Sinicki said. Without specifying which one, he acknowledged a desire to help "a country that has been attacked" as a result of the war, but added that this should not be at the expense of domestic industry.
Piotr Sikorski, President of the Polish Union of Steel Distributors and Processors (PUDS), expressed concern about the growing volume of steel products imported into Europe and the fact that trade measures aimed at protecting steel producers are not solving this problem. "We need to start thinking comprehensively[about the steel market]. This means that using the same trade protection, we must cover all elements of the supply chain," he said. The easiest way would be to expand the scope of existing measures in the future.
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