Thyssenkrupp, a division of the German industrial group for the production of electrical steel, will completely shut down plants in Gelsenkirchen and Isberg, France, from mid-December to the end of the year, according to its press release.
In addition, starting in January, the Isberg site will operate at 50% of the total capacity for at least four months.
Thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel (TKES) said it was responding to a massive increase in cheap imports, especially from Asia.
TKES is one of the two remaining manufacturers of electrotechnical anisotropic steel (EAS) in Europe, which is used in the energy sector, in particular, in substation transformers and wind turbines.
"Electrotechnical anisotropic steel is an indispensable element of the European energy infrastructure and energy transition," said the head of the company, Marie Yaroni, quoted in a press release. - We are determined to maintain production in Europe and are now making efforts to effectively protect the market. These efforts are critically important for the existence of a fair, competitive environment for this strategically important product and the protection of about 1.2 thousand high-quality jobs at our sites in Gelsenkirchen and Isberg."
Jobs are under threat, the press release notes.
The manufacturer writes that the European EAC market is under serious pressure due to a sharp increase in import volumes at prices significantly lower than the average cost in the EU. Since 2022, its imports have tripled, and in 2025 they increased by another 1.5 times, according to a press release. Global demand for such steel will also triple by 2050, according to market forecasts provided by TKES.
