ArcelorMittal to End Duisburg Steelmaking in 2027, About 550 Jobs at Risk
ArcelorMittal plans to close steelmaking, continuous casting and billet rolling operations at Duisburg-Ruhrort from October 2027 after its long-term pig iron supply agreement expires, while retaining the site's wire rod mill with billets sourced from elsewhere.
By Paul Ploumis
Published September 3, 2026
Key Points
- ArcelorMittal plans to stop steel production at Duisburg-Ruhrort from October 2027, subject to supervisory board approval.
- The steelmaking unit, continuous caster and billet rolling mill would close, affecting about 550 of approximately 800 jobs at the site.
- The wire rod mill is expected to remain in operation using billets from other ArcelorMittal plants and external suppliers.
- The restructuring follows the September 2027 expiry of a pig iron supply agreement with thyssenkrupp Steel that has operated since 1997.
- ArcelorMittal also cited high energy and production costs, falling local demand, restricted export opportunities and weak capacity utilization in Europe's bars-and-rods sector.
MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): ArcelorMittal plans to stop steel production at its Duisburg-Ruhrort facility in Germany from October 2027, a restructuring that could eliminate about 550 jobs. The proposal remains subject to approval by the company's supervisory board.
The planned shutdown would cover the steelmaking unit, continuous casting operations and billet rolling mill. Around 550 employees could be affected out of a total workforce of approximately 800 at the facility.
The site's wire rod mill is expected to continue operating. Instead of receiving billets produced in Duisburg, the mill would source semi-finished steel from other ArcelorMittal facilities, including Hamburg, as well as external suppliers.
Pig Iron Contract Expiry Drives Duisburg Restructuring
A central factor behind the decision is the scheduled termination of ArcelorMittal's long-standing pig iron supply agreement with thyssenkrupp Steel. The arrangement has been in place since 1997 and is due to expire at the end of September 2027.
ArcelorMittal announced in December 2024 that it had terminated the supply contract effective September 2027, citing a significant increase in the cost of renewing the arrangement, including higher carbon-related expenses.
German broadcaster WDR, citing IG Metall, reported that thyssenkrupp Steel had recently supplied roughly 750,000 metric tons of liquid pig iron per year to the Duisburg operation.
ArcelorMittal examined alternative sources of hot metal but said none proved economically competitive. The company also evaluated options to decarbonize steel production at Duisburg, including electric arc furnace technology, but concluded that the investment and operating economics were not viable.
Billet Supply to Shift Across ArcelorMittal Network
ArcelorMittal said several of its European plants, along with external producers, are capable of supplying most of the billets required to keep the Duisburg wire rod mill operating after local steelmaking ends.
The Hamburg facility is positioned to become one of those suppliers. Hamburg produces steel through a direct reduced iron-electric arc furnace, or DRI-EAF, route, allowing it to supply Duisburg with billets carrying a lower carbon footprint.
The changes also extend beyond Duisburg. The German facility is currently the main supplier of semi-finished steel to ArcelorMittal's Gandrange operations in France. Once Duisburg steelmaking stops, Gandrange is expected to source billets from other ArcelorMittal facilities and external suppliers.
ArcelorMittal said the social dialogue process related to a redundancy plan for Duisburg employees is due to begin in September 2026.
European Bars and Rods Sector Faces Structural Pressure
Beyond the pig iron supply issue, ArcelorMittal pointed to broader pressures affecting the European bars-and-rods business, including low capacity utilization, declining local demand, restricted export opportunities and high energy costs.
The company also cited high manufacturing costs and difficult conditions across Europe's steel industry as factors behind its decision not to maintain primary steelmaking at Duisburg.
ArcelorMittal said maintaining the wire rod operation is intended to preserve continuity of supply for customers beyond September 2027, with production supported by billets sourced through its wider European network and third-party suppliers.