ArcelorMittal to shut down blast furnace in Asturias, Spain

European market leader ArcelorMittal is suspending Blast Furnace A at its plant in Asturias, Spain due to weak demand.

The plant will shut down at the end of September in response to economic uncertainty and declining confidence among steel consumers, the company said.

He also stated that imports from factories outside of Europe, which are not affected by the costs associated with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, led to his decision.

He again called for the introduction of a mechanism to adjust the carbon frontiers, as "every country ... must contribute fairly to make the transition to a low-carbon world possible."

The ArcelorMittal plant in Asturias has two blast furnaces and manufactures plate, wire rod and rails. The company also did not run an electric arc furnace at its Sestao coil plant.