EUROFER Highlighted Need to Stop Exports of Ferrous Scrap

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The European Steel Association (EUROFER) - the representative body of entire European steel industry highlighted the need to curb exports of ferrous scrap from the EU region to countries that does not meet the same environmental standards as Europe.

Axel Eggert, director general of the EUROFER noted that the body values the importance of circular economy. The EU region countries must strictly stop exporting scrap to overseas facilities that do not meet the EU standards, in order to comply with its 2050 green climate goals. It urged the European Commission (EC) to ratify a proposal to this effect.

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Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs) use scrap as the main raw material. Only around 40% of the total steel produced by the EU region is via EAFs, whereas the remaining majority share of steel is produced using energy intensive blast furnace or basic oxygen furnace techniques. EUROFER highlighted the need to shift to less carbon-intensive EAF technique for steelmaking.

Incidentally, the ferrous scrap exports from EU-27 countries excluding the UK to third countries had totalled 17.5 million tonnes in 2020. The top three destinations of scrap export from the region were Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan.