From the work of the German Steel Federation and the steel industry associations

Current topics are a sign of the growing importance of the Stahl Zentrum's work in defending the interests of German steel companies. Crude steel production in Germany, estimated at almost 45 million t for 2003, repeats last year's good results and thus meets expectations. The price rises in flat steel that began in 2002 have continued this year. The reaction to the introduction of protective tariffs by US President Bush continues to dominate discussions on trade policy. Changes in tax laws affecting companies, instituted by the Government in August 2003, will represent a considerable burden on the steel industry (as a cyclical sector) unless the Bundesrat (the upper house of the German Government) makes major amendments. The decrease in the amount of scrap available has also put some companies under heavy pressure. Furthermore, the expected effects of the introduction of a motorway toll on trucks are also raising concern. As the EU Directive for trading in CO2 emission rights was passed in July 2003 it is now necessary to design the national allocation plan in such a way that the German steel industry remains competitive. The treatment of hardship cases resulting from legislation on renewable energies (EEG) is inadequate for the steel sector. Steel companies have an above-average rate of apprenticeships: a training levy would thus be counterproductive. There was a record number of entries for the sixth Steel Innovation Prize.