Ron Ashburn, executive director of the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST), expressed understanding of Europe’s trade measures. Speaking at the European Steel Forum, held in Udine, Italy, he said bringing industrial production back to Western countries would require partial deglobalization.
“Even the best-managed companies are under pressure if they are not supported by trade protection measures,” Ashburn said at the event, which was attended by a Kallanish correspondent.
He said the United States had already introduced tough measures, and other countries had followed suit to protect their markets.
Ashburn did not rule out renationalization either — a scenario that has already played out in the case of British Steel.
According to the AIST head, countries are introducing measures and countermeasures. Ashburn joked that “lawyers are the main ones getting rich” as a result. He compared the many international problems to a game of whack-a-mole:
“You solve one problem and another appears. You can’t win; you just have to pull the plug.”
Fellow panelist Antonio Marcegaglia, CEO and co-owner of Italian group Marcegaglia, expressed a similar view but warned against excessive market protection.
“We should not create an overly protected environment. But we cannot remain the only open market. Trade measures should be limited, although the latest ones are generally justified. We need a degree of protection, but it is important to avoid isolation,” he said.
Author: Christian Köll, Germany