Germany's steel production impossible without Russian gas, association head says

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ANKARA (AA) - Germany's steel production would not be possible at the moment without natural gas from Russia, Hans Jürgen Kerkhoff, president of the Steel Association, said Tuesday.

Although the German steel industry supports sanctions against Russia amid its war in Ukraine, Kerkhoff warned about the consequences of a possible embargo targeting Russian gas.

"An immediate ban on imports of Russian gas would not only lead to production standstills in the steel industry, but also to a slump in industrial production in Germany and the EU," he said in a statement.

"The consequences for Germany as an industrial location could therefore be burdensome in the long term," he added.

Germany produces 40 million tons of crude steel per year. It is the biggest producer in the EU and the eighth-largest in the world.