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Try the Free AI Search EngineEurope Steel Market: ArcelorMittal Price Hikes Amidst Subdued Demand & Rising Plant Activity
The European steel market is experiencing a period of contrasting signals. While “ArcelorMittal raises prices for hot-rolled steel for the second time this summer“, the “Seasonal lull keeps European HRC market subdued, despite ArcelorMittal price hike plans“. These price adjustments occur against a backdrop of varying steel plant activity levels observed across Europe.
Monthly plant activity, as observed by satellite, is shown in the table below:
The table shows that ArcelorMittal Bremen saw a significant increase in activity, jumping to 82% in August, compared to 51% in July, while other plants experienced more stable output. The mean activity across all plants is not a valid measure due to the negative numbers, which are likely error values in the source data.
SSAB Raahe steel plant
The SSAB Raahe plant in Finland, an integrated BF/BOF producer with a crude steel capacity of 2.6 million tonnes, experienced relatively stable activity from May to August 2025, fluctuating between 34% and 31%. Given that “ArcelorMittal raises prices for hot-rolled steel for the second time this summer” partly due to expectations of increased demand post-summer, the consistent activity at SSAB Raahe suggests that the plant is operating at or near its planned capacity. No immediate disruption is apparent.
ArcelorMittal Bremen steel plant
ArcelorMittal’s Bremen plant, a major integrated steelworks with a 3.8 million tonne crude steel capacity, showed a substantial activity increase from 51% in July to 82% in August. This aligns with ArcelorMittal’s price increase for hot-rolled coils, detailed in “ArcelorMittal raises prices for hot-rolled steel for the second time this summer”, which indicates increased production and anticipated higher demand. The plant primarily produces finished rolled products including hot rolled coils for the automotive and construction sectors.
Outokumpu Tornio steel plant
Outokumpu’s Tornio plant in Finland, an electric arc furnace (EAF) based producer with a 1.2 million tonne crude steel capacity, saw a gradual increase in activity from March to August 2025, reaching 39% in August. This stable increase does not have a direct link to the named news articles, so a direct connection cannot be established. The plant produces stainless steel products and benefits from recovered process gasses, making it less vulnerable to some energy cost fluctuations.
Evaluated Market Implications
The observed increase in activity at ArcelorMittal Bremen, combined with their announced price hikes, suggests a potential tightening of supply in the HRC market, especially given the subdued market sentiment reported in “Seasonal lull keeps European HRC market subdued, despite ArcelorMittal price hike plans”.
Recommended Procurement Actions:
- Steel Buyers: Given ArcelorMittal’s increased HRC prices and plant activity, buyers should carefully assess their inventory levels and consider securing supply from alternative sources, especially for Q4 shipments. Explore import options, bearing in mind potential import restrictions and the impact of CBAM, as noted in “ArcelorMittal raises prices for hot-rolled steel for the second time this summer”.
- Market Analysts: Monitor the actual impact of ArcelorMittal’s price increases on market transactions and analyze inventory levels among major European steel consumers. Closely track import data to gauge the effectiveness of proposed EU import restrictions and the CBAM. The relative stability of plants such as the SSAB Raahe plant could suggest an opportunity to explore alternative contracts.