Tariffs and energy: ArcelorMittal Luxembourg urges EU to act
At its New Year's ceremony on Wednesday, January 21, in Differdange, ArcelorMittal Luxembourg gave a harsh assessment of the situation with the steel industry in Europe. Faced with global overcapacity, import pressure and energy prices, the group is calling for urgent European measures to preserve the competitive low-carbon steel industry. And he's thrilled with his new dust collection unit.
Having gathered in Differdange for the New Year's ceremony in 2026, the leaders of ArcelorMittal Luxembourg presented a detailed analysis of the situation on the steel market and the challenges facing the European steel industry. Valerie Massin, Regional Manager, and Pierre Jacobs, CEO of Luxembourg Long Products, spoke about the strategic sector weakened by global imbalances, while reaffirming the group's commitment to the industrial development of the Grand Duchy.
Pierre Jacobs recalled the central role of steel in the modern economy, which is present in infrastructure, construction, automotive, and now in electric vehicles, as well as in the closed-loop economy due to its recyclability. However, this indispensability contrasts with the evolution of the global market. In 2024, global steel production reached approximately 1.8 billion tons, almost three quarters of which were produced in Asia, mainly in China, but also in India, South Korea and Japan. The European Union (EU) currently accounts for only about 130 million tons, or less than 10% of global production, and is about 25% below pre-health crisis levels.
This reduction is accompanied by a change in trade flows. While the EU was still a small net exporter of steel in 2015 and 2016, it has become a net importer since 2017, with imports consistently exceeding exports. This event has a direct impact on the use of industrial capacity in Europe. After a sharp drop during the financial crisis of 2009 and then in 2020 due to the healthcare crisis, capacity utilization remains low today, often below 70%, reflecting both the scale of imports and the economic climate, which is considered gloomy in Europe.
The goal is to reduce the number of fatal accidents to zero.
Social issues are also at stake. The European steel industry provides about 300,000 direct jobs, more than a million indirect jobs, and several hundred thousand involuntary jobs. In terms of added value, the steel industry ecosystem