Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Sikelá has confirmed that the Czech Republic has formally requested the European Union (EU) sanctions authorities to extend the ban on Russian steel imports until 2028, as these supplies are vital importance for the Czech economy, quoted by TASS.
“With the current situation in the construction industry, for example in the construction of bridges, we will not be able to do without it (steel from Russia – TASS),” said the minister, quoted by the Euractiv portal. The Czech Republic hopes the EU will agree to remove steel from the list of Russian goods subject to EU sanctions, Sikela said. The request for exemption applies primarily to thick steel sheets, the portal notes.
“I am convinced that we will adhere to the approach which suggests that the sanctions should affect first of all those who are targeted and not those who impose them. In this case we will be satisfied”, stressed the Minister of Industry, adding that Prague is considering other options to deal with the steel shortage, such as securing imports from China. However, Chinese materials are of lower quality than their Russian counterparts, and specific alternatives have not yet been developed.
“Thick plates are produced from Russian steel, the interruption of whose production could cause a crisis in the construction sector or in the automotive industry,” the CTK news agency quoted Yana Dronska, a representative of the Czech steel company Vitkovice Steel, as saying. If Brussels grants the requested exemption from sanctions, the company intends to use the exemption period to look for alternative suppliers. Belgium and Italy are also pushing for an extension of the exemption from the ban on Russian steel supplies by the EU. Such an exemption from sanctions is vital for a number of European steel companies.
On November 17, Politico reported that the Czech Republic had asked the European Union to extend preferential treatment for imports of products from Russia’s Novolipetsk Steel Mining Company (NLMK) until 2028 as part of adopting a new package of anti-Russian sanctions as the current exemption expires at the end of 2024. Steel from the Russian metallurgical enterprise is essential for the Czech Republic’s car manufacturers, which are the backbone of the country’s economy, the publication said, adding that automotive products account for about 10% of the country’s GDP. the country.
The Czech Republic cannot find an alternative to NLMK products, the publication’s sources claim. However, Prague’s request for an exemption does not mean that preferential imports of NLMK products will be extended for another four years, as the actual exemption period may vary, Politico noted.
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2023-11-28 11:54:00
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