During the 2025 edition of Made in Steel currently taking place in Milan, Giuseppe Pasini, chairman of Feralpi Group and president of Confindustria Lombardia, delivered a sharp and passionate analysis of the steel industry. Speaking during a panel titled, “Market and beyond: trends and prospects for steel and carbon”, Mr. Pasini addressed the current economic climate, European industrial policy, and the green transition, while voicing pointed criticism toward the EU regulatory framework and speculative dynamics threatening the competitiveness of the continental steel sector.
A market searching for stability
“Talking about the market right now is not easy, because we’re facing a period of great uncertainty,” Pasini opened, referring in particular to construction steels. “Thanks to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, consumption in Italy is holding up. It held up in 2024 and is continuing to do so in the early months of 2025. But we’re seeing a clear downturn in the residential sector, triggered by the aftermath of the 110 percent bonus and persistently high interest rates.”
Macroeconomic uncertainty is compounded by administrative inefficiencies and structural issues in Germany, Mr. Pasini said, adding “It’s a country in need of massive infrastructure investment after years of stagnation. There’s talk of �1 trillion in funding, half for defense and the rest for infrastructure and digitalization. If well-managed, this could represent a major boost for our sector as well.”
Despite these challenges, EUROFER is forecasting a slight stabilization in steel demand for the second half of 2025, while attention outside the EU focuses on mounting pressure from China. “China is already entering our markets in force. It’s a real threat, especially in a context of increasing regionalization of trade flows,” Pasini noted.
Green steel and scrap: the key issues in the EU plan
A significant portion of Pasini’s speech was devoted to the European Steel Action Plan, which he openly criticized, stating, “The measures are extremely timid. There’s no point in identifying the problems without offering solutions. We, as entrepreneurs, deal with that every day, while Europe continues to drag its feet.” One of the core issues remains the handling of ferrous scrap, he pointed out, adding, “If we really want to produce green steel, scrap must remain in Europe. It makes no sense that 18 million tonnes are exported every year, 60 percent of which goes to Turkey. And the ships transporting this material don’t pollute? That’s a glaring contradiction.”
Pasini also highlighted Italy’s leadership in decarbonization, stating “Ours is the most sustainable steelmaking industry in Europe. 90 percent of our production comes from electric arc furnaces. It’s unacceptable that shipping and financial lobbies outweigh industrial producers in influence.”
FERGreen: Feralpi’s tangible response
Against this backdrop, Pasini presented FERGreen, the new strategic initiative launched by Feralpi Group at Made in Steel. The platform brings together all the group’s sustainability-related projects, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of production processes and enhance the circular economy model. The plan includes investments in plants, technologies, digitalization, by-product recovery, and alternative energy sources – a concrete example, he said, of how industry can lead the transition without waiting for top-down intervention.
Defending European manufacturing
Pasini emphasized that the battle for green steel is also a cultural one. “Europe seems to have forgotten its industrial roots. We are heading toward an increasingly financialized model, when what we need is a revolution in industrial thinking. We can no longer accept that our green electric plants pay the highest energy prices in the EU,” he commented.
His message was clear: a level playing field is essential. “This is not about protectionism,” he explained, “but about fairness. Today, we are no longer competitive outside Europe: raw materials, scrap, and energy costs are penalizing us too heavily. Europe remains our reference market, but it must be shielded from growing external aggression.”
The strength of Italian steel
Looking ahead, Pasini expressed confidence in the sector’s resilience, stating, “Italian entrepreneurs have shown they can respond, innovate, and endure. Our workforce is skilled and adaptable - a crucial asset in a volatile market.”
He concluded with a shared call to responsibility: “We must continue to believe in industry. Made in Steel is the ideal forum to reaffirm that steel is not just a raw material - it is culture, competence, and future. And the ‘beauty of steel,’ this year’s theme, lies above all in its resilience.”
【以下为机器翻译结果，仅供参考阅读】
在米兰举行的 2025 年钢铁制造大会上，Feralpi 集团董事长兼 Confindustria Lombardia 主席 Giuseppe Pasini 对钢铁行业进行了敏锐而热情的分析。在题为“市场及其他：钢铁和碳的趋势和前景”的小组讨论中，Pasini 先生谈到了当前的经济气候、欧洲产业政策和绿色转型，同时对威胁欧洲大陆钢铁行业竞争力的欧盟监管框架和投机动态提出了尖锐的批评。
寻求稳定的市场
“现在谈论市场并不容易，因为我们正面临一个充满不确定性的时期，”Pasini 开场白，特别提到了建筑钢材。“多亏了国家复苏和复原力计划，意大利的消费保持了增长。它在 2024 年保持了下来，并在 2025 年初继续保持这种状态。但我们看到住宅行业出现了明显的低迷，这是由 110% 的奖金和持续的高利率引发的。
帕西尼说，德国的行政效率低下和结构性问题加剧了宏观经济的不确定性，并补充说，“在多年的停滞之后，德国需要一个需要大规模基础设施投资的国家。有传言称，资金将投入 1 万亿欧元，其中一半用于国防，其余用于基础设施和数字化。如果管理得当，这也可能代表着我们行业的重大推动。
尽管存在这些挑战，但 EUROFER 预测 2025 年下半年钢铁需求将略有稳定，而欧盟以外的注意力则集中在来自中国的压力上。“中国已经有效地进入了我们的市场。这是一个真正的威胁，尤其是在贸易流动日益区域化的背景下，“帕西尼指出。
绿色钢铁和废钢：欧盟计划中的关键问题
帕西尼演讲的很大一部分是关于欧洲钢铁行动计划的，他公开批评了该计划，他说：“这些措施非常胆小。如果不提供解决方案，就确定问题是没有意义的。作为企业家，我们每天都在处理这个问题，而欧洲却继续拖延。他指出，核心问题之一仍然是黑色金属废钢的处理，并补充说：“如果我们真的想生产绿色钢材，废钢必须留在欧洲。每年出口 1800 万吨，其中 60% 销往土耳其，这毫无意义。运输这些材料的船只不会污染吗？这是一个明显的矛盾。
Pasini 还强调了意大利在脱碳方面的领导地位，他说：“我们的炼钢行业是欧洲最具可持续性的炼钢行业。我们 90% 的产量来自电弧炉。航运和金融游说团体的影响力超过了工业生产者，这是不可接受的。
FERGreen：Feralpi 的切实回应
在此背景下，Pasini 介绍了 FERALPI 集团在 Made in Steel 上发起的新战略计划 FERGreen。该平台汇集了集团所有与可持续发展相关的项目，旨在减少生产过程的碳足迹并增强循环经济模式。该计划包括对工厂、技术、数字化、副产品回收和替代能源的投资——他说，这是工业如何在不等待自上而下的干预的情况下引领转型的具体例子。
捍卫欧洲制造业
帕西尼强调，绿色钢铁之战也是一场文化之战。“欧洲似乎已经忘记了它的工业根源。我们正在走向一个日益金融化的模式，而我们需要的是工业思维的革命。我们不能再接受我们的绿色发电厂支付了欧盟最高的能源价格，“他评论道。
他传达的信息很明确：公平的竞争环境是必不可少的。“这不是关于保护主义，”他解释说，“而是关于公平。今天，我们在欧洲以外的地方不再具有竞争力：原材料、废料和能源成本对我们造成了沉重的惩罚。欧洲仍然是我们的参考市场，但必须保护它免受日益增长的外部侵略。
意大利钢材的强度
展望未来，Pasini 表示对该行业的韧性充满信心，他表示：“意大利企业家已经证明他们能够应对、创新和持久。我们的员工技能娴熟且适应性强 - 这是动荡市场中的重要资产。
他最后共同呼吁自己承担责任：“我们必须继续相信工业。Made in Steel 是重申钢铁不仅仅是原材料的理想论坛，它还代表着文化、能力和未来。而今年的主题是'钢铁之美'，首先在于它的韧性。
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