Currently, Evraz is working with the management of Vitkovice Steel to evaluate the possibility of a temporary or permanent shutdown of the steel shop at Vitkovice, in the event of no price agreement being reached with its raw material supplier. Meanwhile, according to Pavel Tatyanin, head of Evraz's international operations, Vitkovice's rolling mills would continue operating using imported steel if the pig iron dispute with ArcelorMittal is not resolved.

As SteelOrbis previously reported, the long-term agreement which guarantees the supply of liquid pig iron from ArcelorMittal Ostrava to the steelmaking facilities of Evraz Vitkovice Steel until 2015 was signed between the sides in May 2009. However, according to Mr. Tatyanin, the agreement in the current situation is disadvantageous, as the plant has been losing money since 2009, due, he said, to the high prices for pig iron demanded by the Czech unit of ArcelorMittal.

Meanwhile, officials at ArcelorMittal's Czech unit said they were surprised Evraz was blaming their company for