Serbia’s HBIS to restart blast furnace in mid-August

摘要

Flat steel producer HBIS Group Serbia plans to restart its blast furnace No1 on August 16 this year, the company said on Monday June 14. The furnace was shut down on July 5, 2020, due to “the Covid- 19 pandemic… and the market situation that prevailed at that time,” the steelmaker said. The majority of European flat steel producers had idled equipment or reduced their output during the various Covid-19 lockdown measures across Europe last year, in their attempt to balance supply with demand, particularly from the automotive sector. The consumption of steel dropped due to the effects of these lockdowns.