ArcelorMittal Taranto plant to continue some production operations

Italian steel mills will have to close most operations in accordance with a government decree passed Sunday, tightening restrictions to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The government has ordered the suspension of production and commercial activities that are not necessary by March 25.

Market sources said that while most factories will not be allowed to continue production, some are trying to get the necessary permission from local prefects to continue production. Unions have pledged to fight such moves and say they are ready to strike a huge blow to prevent plants from staying open.

A government decree allows factories with a continuous production cycle, "because of which an interruption could cause serious damage to the plant itself," but again this depends on the local prefects.

ArcelorMittal Italia's plant in Taranto, Italy's largest manufacturer of flat products, has some continuous cycle production at its plant that needs to be continued.

On Saturday, he shut down blast furnace # 2 in Taranto, as well as smelter at plant 1. Crude steel production will be around 8,500 tonnes per day, with only two blast furnaces, # 1 and # 4, continuing to operate, sources at Platts said. ...

“AM Italia has closed part of the hot section; we understand that BF1 and BF4 must continue to operate, but we request that all other cold ends activities that are still operating in Taranto, as well as at the sites of the company based in Northern Italy such as Genoa Roll Factories and Novi Liguri, be discontinued. " - said in a trade union source.

“We urge the government and prefects to listen to us and stop all activities - there is currently no need to work with cold end parts, also considering that most of the buyers of Italian steel producers - domestic and non-domestic - have stopped production, especially in the automotive industry,” added is he.

Union leaders were scheduled to meet with company representatives on Monday afternoon.

Arvedi's Servola plant in the Trieste region could also be vacated, but in any case it was supposed to close completely at the end of March.