ArcelorMittal may struggle to charge premium prices for steel produced at its new €1.3bn low-carbon Dunkirk plant, the facility's chief executive Bruno Ribo has warned. The electric-arc furnace, scheduled to start production in 2029, aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds but carries significantly higher costs. Ribo stated the company has "no real visibility" over how quickly demand for green steel will grow or whether buyers will pay more, pointing to European carmakers as major consumers.

Green steel is typically 20-30 per cent more expensive due to large upfront investments and electricity requirements. The Dunkirk project followed industry lobbying for protection against cheaper imports. Data from Eurofer shows imports rose to 26 per cent of Europe's supply from 2016-2025 while EU production declined.

The EU carbon border adjustment mechanism and new trade quotas aim to ease pressure on European producers. ArcelorMittal secured guaranteed electricity prices for the Dunkirk plant from EDF's Gravelines nuclear power station. Improved conditions have lifted steelmakers' share prices, with ArcelorMittal up nearly 70 per cent this year.

Talks for India's Jindal Steel to buy a stake in Thyssenkrupp's steel unit were halted in May after assumptions significantly changed.