An Arcelor study on the orientation of the stainless-steel segment will be concluded in April 2003. The goal is to analyse the competitiveness of production structures across Europe and to define the orientations for the industrial evolution of the production infrastructure and its capacity. In order to substantially improve the competitiveness, the study foresees, at stable capacity, the concentration of the steel production, for instance through the construction of a new steelmaking plant upstream of the hot-rolling mill of Carlam in Charleroi, Belgium. Taking into account the increase in the performance of the plants in the context of the current implementation of improvement plans and the resulting availability of steel, the study leads to foresee, over time, the phased discontinuation of non-competitive capacities.
