High-Level Meeting: Excess Capacity and Structural Adjustment in the Steel Sector

18 April 2016, Palais d'Egmont, Brussels, Belgium

Excess Capacity is seen as one of the most significant challenges facing the global steel industry today.

In view of the significant and growing excess capacity that exists in the global steel industry, the OECD Steel Committee has taken to address the issue.

The OECD and the Belgian authorities organised a High-Level Meeting on Excess Capacity and Structural Adjustment in the Steel Sector, which took place on 18 April 2016 at the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels. The event was hosted by Belgium.

The meeting brought together Ministers, Vice-Ministers and other high-level government officials in charge of steel-related industrial and trade policies. The overarching focus of the High-Level Meeting was on promoting structural adjustment in the steel industry and reducing excess capacity by removing distortionary government policies and through industry restructuring.

An important long-term goal is to improve the economic viability of the global steel industry and help reduce trade frictions amongst trading partners. The deliverables of the High-Level Meeting included a statement highlighting key policy goals as well as possible venues for follow-up activities by the Steel Committee to raise transparency of progress made to address excess capacity.

The meeting included open sessions involving all steel industry stakeholders, such as representatives from industry, academia, labour unions and civil society, to allow interested parties to contribute to the discussions.

The High-Level Meeting was followed by a regular Steel Committee meeting on 19 April, at the same venue in Brussels.

See the outcomes of the event.

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