ArcelorMittal to resume operations in Gijon next week
Luxembourg-based steel company ArcelorMittal will resume operation of blast furnace B at its plant in Gijon, Spain, by the middle of next week.
The furnace has not been working since the end of last year. In February, the company said it had to cool the plant for maintenance after a failed stabilization attempt.
ArcelorMittal operates two blast furnaces in Gijón. Blast furnace A continues to operate, while blast furnace B is undergoing repairs. The total capacity of the two plants is 4.7 million tons per year, with each furnace capable of producing 2.35 million tons per year.
Earlier this week, ArcelorMittal confirmed that it had restarted blast furnace No. 3 at its plant in Dombrowa Górnicza, Poland. The company plans to restart its blast furnace in Fos-sur-Mer, France, in June.
ArcelorMittal is resuming operations in response to trade rules that could increase demand for steel in the EU.
According to trade data released today, Brazil's slab exports to the EU increased in April after slowing in March. Last month, Brazil exported 260,000 tons of slabs to the EU, of which almost 80,000 tons were shipped to Spain, 70,000 tons to France and 40,000 tons to Poland. The export of slabs from Brazil to the EU in January-April amounted to 700,000 tons, which is more than in the same period in 2025, when exports were not carried out, and about 700,000 tons for the whole of 2025. ArcelorMittal acquired Brazilian slab manufacturer CSP in 2023.
Author: Laura Stoyanova