# ArcelorMittal South Africa has begun winding down its long steel plants in Vereeniging and Newcastle after failing to secure government concessions on scrap steel pricing. A total of 3-thousand-500 jobs will be affected. Competing scrap mills benefit from a 30-percent discount, while Amsa faces high electricity and transport costs. Efforts to lower import duties and improve tariffs failed, worsening the situation. The company will shut down its blast furnaces from early March, with final steel production by April.
ArcelorMittal to shut down long steel plants