[Assofermet Warns Ilva Shutdown Threatens Italy's Steel Self-Sufficiency]

Published: Sep 17, 2026 16:25

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Italian metals distributors' association Assofermet has voiced concern after the Milan Court of Appeal rejected a bid to suspend the shutdown of hot-end operations at the former Ilva steelworks in Taranto. Acciaierie d'Italia plans to begin cooling its blast furnaces from September 16, a process Assofermet says would make restarting them extremely difficult. The association warned the shutdown could structurally cut Italy's steelmaking capacity and deepen import reliance, a risk compounded by the EU's new steel safeguard regime, which since July 1 has cut import quotas and raised out-of-quota duties to 50%.

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