Assofermet, the Italian association of metal distributors, Traders and Processors, said it was "deeply concerned" about the possible impact on the domestic steel supply chain after the Milan Court of Appeal rejected a request to suspend a decision mandating the cessation of hot steel production at the former Ilva plant in Taranto by the end of October.
In accordance with this decision, Acciaierie d'Italia (ADI) intends to start cooling the blast furnaces as early as September 16. According to the company's schedule, Furnace No. 1, which is currently in preheating mode, will be the first to be stopped, followed by furnace No. 4, which is idle, and after that, furnace No. 2, the only working blast furnace.
According to the technical estimates cited by Assofermet, it will be extremely difficult to restore the operation of blast furnaces after the start of cooling, both from a technological and economic point of view.
The Association warns about the risks to domestic steelmaking facilities and the reliability of supplies.
Assofermet underlines the strategic importance of the Taranto facility, which today remains Italy's only integrated steel plant capable of producing primary steel from iron ore. The plant is also a key link in a broader industrial network that supplies rolls and semi-finished products both to the market and for further processing at the company's facilities in Genoa and Novi Ligura.
According to the association, steel distributors, service centers and sheet metal pretreatment enterprises, which historically received raw materials from Taranto, are particularly vulnerable. The shutdown of hot production could lead to a structural reduction in steelmaking capacity in Italy and increase the country's dependence on imports. Assofermet believes that the consequences will affect not only the availability of the material, but also the purchase prices, reliability of supplies and competitiveness of manufacturers operating in the secondary market.
The situation is also complicated by changes in European trade policy. Assofermet notes that since July 1, the EU's new steel protection regime has significantly reduced the amount of available import quotas and increased duties on supplies in excess of quotas to 50 percent.
The association believes that the simultaneous reduction of domestic production capacities and tighter access to supplies from non-EU countries can seriously affect the availability of steel to the Italian industry.
The most tangible consequences may be for strategic processing industries, including automotive, household appliances, mechanical engineering, energy and construction, where stable supplies of steel and high-quality metal products are critically important.
The former Ilva factory remains
