In response to job cuts at the French company ArcelorMittal, France is initiating measures to strengthen the protection of the European steel industry from cheap imports from China. This was announced by government spokesperson Sophie Primas, commenting on the news of the loss of 600 jobs at seven French facilities of the company, which is part of ArcelorMittal, Reuters reports.
This is reported by Business • Media
“We have already taken the first steps — particularly regarding quotas on Chinese steel. However, we need to move further, and France is at the forefront here,” Primas stated on CNews/Europe1.
Amid the energy crisis and increasing competition from cheap Chinese products, European steel producers, including ArcelorMittal and Tata Steel, are facing significant challenges. They are also suffering from increased tariffs on exports to the U.S. In a message to the labor council, ArcelorMittal France North noted that it has already exhausted all options for short-term adaptation but is now forced to reorganize to maintain competitiveness. This decision has sparked a wave of criticism, particularly from the head of the Hauts-de-France region, Xavier Bertrand, who emphasized that the company received state support during the decarbonization process and called on it to clarify when the promised investments would begin.
“It’s time to tell us when these investments will be made,” he wrote on social media platform X.
France promises to intensify efforts at the EU level to review quotas and mechanisms for protecting the domestic market to prevent further decline of the industry, which is strategically important for the region’s economy. By the end of 2024, French metallurgical companies increased steel production by 7.6% compared to 2023, reaching 10.76 million tons. This followed a significant decline of 17.5% in 2023. The average monthly steel production in 2024 was 896,250 tons, whereas in 2023 it was 833,000 tons, and in 2022 it was 1.01 million tons. In January-February 2025, the industry produced 1.67 million tons of steel, which is 2% less compared to the same period last year.