PS: Premier Should Back Full Ban on Russian Steel Imports, It Would Aid Slovakia

Bratislava, 21 July (TASR) – It is time for Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to finally stand up for Slovakia's real economic and national interests, Martin Hojsik, Vice-president of the European Parliament and a member of the leadership of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party, said on Monday. Instead of continuing dependence on Russian fuels, Fico should push for a complete ban on steel imports from Russia, Hojsik stated at a press conference on Monday. "We are once again calling on Prime Minister Fico and the entire Slovak government to finally act in Slovakia's interests, to urge other European leaders – those who still talk to him – to implement an immediate and full ban on steel imports from the Russian Federation. This would support not only Slovakia's steel industry but also the entire European sector," said Hojsik. Hojsik noted that while sanctions on imports of steel and steel products from Russia were among the first to be adopted, they still allow for high quotas. This year, those quotas amount to nearly 3.2 million tonnes – nearly the entire annual production of U.S. Steel in Kosice, Hojsik has calculated. "Let's be honest: these quotas are undermining both the European and Slovak steel industries. I'd even say they threaten their future. The steel sector is strategically important, and the European Commission has prepared a dedicated action plan to rescue and develop it. Yet we still have this huge loophole," said Hojsik, adding that Russia is profiting economically from exports to the European market. According to Hojsik, the EU has sufficient capacity for steel production, and some producers are even at risk of closure. U.S. Steel in Kosice, for instance, is operating at below full capacity. "We can replace Russian steel. Unfortunately, current Eurostat data show that we're importing more steel, with a higher share coming from Russia than before the war began. Russian steel now accounts for 60 percent of all imported steel. I believe that this isn't the path we want to follow," stressed Hojsik. The government is acting as if the problems of the steel industry don't concern it, said member of House finance and budget committee Stefan Kiss (PS). "U.S. Steel, one of the largest employers in Slovakia, could benefit from stricter quotas on Russian steel imports. This would bring new economic opportunities for the whole of eastern Slovakia. Stricter sanctions against Russia would also mean a faster end to the war – something the government talks a lot about but is taking no action on," added Kiss. mf/df