Dusan Jovanoski, Sales Manager for Liberty Steel in the Balkans, noted that the Balkan steel market is entering a new era when trade policy, CBAM, energy costs and decarbonization are increasingly affecting the competitive environment. Jovanoski noted that 2027 will bring new challenges and opportunities, and companies that adapt quickly to changing market conditions will gain a competitive advantage.
"The positions of EU and other non-EU countries in the Balkan steel market will increasingly diverge." As trade measures, CBAM, energy costs, and decarbonization investments change the competitive environment in the European steel market, these transformations also have a direct impact on the Balkan countries. In particular, regulatory differences between the Balkan and non-EU member states lead to an increasingly marked divergence in supplier search and procurement strategies. In an interview with SteelRadar, Dusan Jovanoski, Sales Manager for Liberty Steel in the Balkans, assessed the current market conditions in North Macedonia and the Balkans, customer behavior, Turkey's position in the region, and the decarbonization process. Jovanoski said he does not expect 2027 to be an easy year for the industry, adding that companies that are able to adapt quickly to the new market structure from a commercial, operational and technological perspective will be in a better position.
,First of all, could you tell us about yourself?
Throughout my 12 years of experience in the steel industry, including working for ArcelorMittal and Liberty Steel Group, I have had the opportunity to work in different markets and closely follow the structural changes taking place in the European and Balkan steel industries. For the past five years, I have been working as a sales manager in the Balkan region. This combination of commercial and strategic experience has given me a broad understanding of the development of the regional steel market and the challenges faced by manufacturers, traders and customers. Western Balkans may become an alternative market
How do you assess the current steel market in North Macedonia and the Balkans? What, in your opinion, are the main factors influencing demand and prices at the present time?
AL Despite the fact that North Macedonia is a relatively small market, its position in the regional steel industry is more important than it might seem at first glance due to domestic consumption. There are large steel producers in the country that produce both flat and long products. Liberty Skopje is a major manufacturer of coated and cold-rolled rolled products, while Makstil is one of the leading