Concerns over ArcelorMittal's shift away from Europe
ArcelorMittal's recent closures of plants in Germany, France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Romania, and Poland point to a clear Decentralization of steel production from the EU. This trend raises concerns about weakened competitiveness not only for the Polish steel industry, but also for the entire European steel market.
Wojciech Balczun, Poland's minister of state Assets, said in a Zen interview today: "Arculormitt is seriously considering concentrating in India. Dąbrowa Górnicza, which we are closely monitoring."
Government Action Plan for the Steel sector
To address these issues, the Ministry of Industry of the Polish Ministry of Industry has developed an action plan to ensure the sustainable growth of the country's steel sector. The document is currently under state consultation. The Polish Steel Association (HIPH) called on the Prime Minister's participation to accelerate final approval, stressing that industries urgently need support to navigate high energy costs, underutilized domestic capacity, rising imports from Asia and Russia, and the financial burden of a green transition.
. Polished steel. It produces, with imports - especially from flat steel products - covering about 80 percent of domestic demand for flat steel. ArcelorMittal remains the country's dominant producer with key plants in Dąbrowa Górnicza (5 million tons of annual capacity) and Arcelormittal Warszawa (750,000 tons). On the contrary, the group's facilities in Krakow and Zdzieszowice were closed, while Blast Fursace No. 3 in Dąbrowa Górnicza was idle.
show that in Polish oil, crude steel production fell by 22.8 percent between 2018 and 2024, reaching only 6.4 million by 2023 - a low. While 2024 registered a 10.7% year-on-year increase, expectations for 2025 suggest that production will stabilize at around 7 million tons, still below Poland's consumption needs.
