The Metinvest Tubular Iași plant, formerly ArcelorMittal Tubular Products, will cease its activity. The factory was bought by the Ukrainian group Metinvest, the largest steel producer in Ukraine, controlled by entrepreneur Rinat Akhmetov, the richest man in the neighboring country. The company has notified the Romanian authorities of the collective dismissal of 194 employees, out of a total of 195.
According to information published by Ziarul de Iași, the decision was motivated by the effects of Russia's attacks on Ukraine, which affected the factory's supply of raw materials. The Iași unit, previously known as the former Tepro factory, produces steel pipes, and the constant shortage of raw materials made the activity unsustainable, according to the company's explanations.
The closure comes shortly after the factory had entered Metinvest's portfolio, a detail that made the decision seem unexpected. The acquisition had been presented in the broader context of Ukrainian investments abroad, at a time when the group was seeking to diversify its activity beyond borders under the pressure of the war.
For employees in Iași, the collective dismissal means the loss of jobs at an important industrial unit for the city, and the situation will be followed by the authorities, as well as by trade unions and the local community. In the available sources, the company did not detail the exact timetable for the closure or the compensation measures for staff.