BRATISLAVA – Slovakia’s US Steel Košice is sounding the alarm as cheap imports and weak demand force it to operate at just two-thirds capacity, warning that without stronger EU safeguards, Europe’s steel industry risks permanent collapse.

“The low prices and high import levels make production uneconomical. This is not sustainable,” Michal Pintér, US Steel Košice’s Director of Governmental, EU Affairs & REACH, said at the plant. “We are in a state of emergency. If we don’t act now, we risk losing a strategic sector permanently,” he added.

US Steel’s warnings come as the European Commission consults on redesigning safeguard measures, which currently expire on 30 June 2026. The Commission plans to present new proposals in the third quarter of 2025.

EU steel output has declined from 160 m

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