The ArcelorMittal production assets located in Galati, Skopje and Piombino are expected to be transferred to a new buyer by the end of February 2019, Kallanish learns from trade union sources in Italy.

The plants have been put up for sale by the group as part of the remedies requested by the European Commission in relation to the acquisition of the Italian Ilva group. A number of interested parties have expressed their interest in the assets (see Kallanish passim), but the sale process has not progressed forward as ArcelorMittal was waiting to conclude the acquisition of Ilva.

Now that the Ilva purchase is being finalised, it is understood that ArcelorMittal could announce the name of any potential buyer(s) for the plants by the end of September. This would then instigate the approval procedure with the European authorities.

ArcelorMittal Galati, Skopje and Piombino have been put together in a cluster of plants to be sold, ideally in one transaction. Other assets for sale across Europe include ArcelorMittal Dudelange in Luxembourg, some finishing lines in Liège in Belgium and the Czech steelmaking plant of Ostrava.