[SMM Acero]

Stelco Holdings Inc. will indefinitely idle finishing operations at its Hamilton, Ontario plant, affecting up to 500 workers across Hamilton and Lake Erie. The company said the move was 'unfortunate but necessary', citing US tariffs that have cut demand for its cold rolled and galvanized products. Demand in its traditional markets fell almost 25% in Q2 2026 vs the 2024 quarterly average, with Canada down 10%. Ottawa's import curbs have cut volumes but not enough to close the gap. Production will be concentrated at the Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, Ontario. Parent Cleveland-Cliffs said the product mix will change but steel tonnage will not, and will offer Hamilton staff Lake Erie roles. Peer Algoma Steel announced over 1,000 layoffs; ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada shut its Hamilton wire drawing mill.

Italy's steel association Federacciai warned that soaring energy costs are threatening the continuity of domestic steel production and urged the EU to suspend its Emissions Trading System (ETS). It said the combined burden of high electricity prices and carbon costs has left Italian mills, particularly electric arc furnace operators, facing unsustainable pressure, with some lines at risk of shutdown. Federacciai called on the EU and the Italian government to take emergency measures, including halting ETS allowance auctions and adjusting carbon cost pass-through rules, to protect steel supply and jobs. Spanish peer Unesid also warned of a 658 million EUR energy cost overrun (about 710 million USD) and sought an emergency plan. Source: Federacciai.

La Comisión Europea propone prohibir a Egipto la importación de chatarra férrica y no férrica originaria de la UE una vez que el Reglamento revisado sobre traslados de residuos entre en pleno vigor el 21 de mayo de 2027. Egipto, junto con India, Pakistán, Marruecos, Bangladés y Arabia Saudí, no demostró una gestión de residuos ambientalmente racional. Egipto importó 1,86 millones de toneladas de chatarra de la UE en 2025 y 2,12 millones de toneladas en el primer semestre de 2026, un 59,7 % más interanual, ocupando el tercer puesto mundial; aproximadamente la mitad de su suministro de chatarra férrica procede de la UE. Las acerías necesitarían chatarra alternativa o más DRI: el flete europeo es de 20-25 USD por tonelada frente a 35-40 USD por tonelada desde China o Estados Unidos. Egipto también ha perdido 213 millones de USD en exportaciones de acero debido a las medidas antidumping de la UE y Estados Unidos. El plazo para comentarios finaliza el 16 de octubre; la adopción está prevista para el cuarto trimestre de 2026.