According to Argus news, Marubeni, a Japanese trading firm, has acquired a stake exceeding 25% in Spain's steel company Network Steel Resources, including its subsidiaries like Coated Solutions and trading arms under Plafesa. This acquisition was finalized recently. Concurrently, Nippon Steel from Japan is in discussions to acquire US Steel, including its Kosice branch in Slovakia. The move reflects a broader trend of Japanese companies expanding into Europe amidst safeguard measures and potential investigations into dumping practices by the EU. Japan has emerged as a significant supplier of flat steel products to the EU, with recent trade data indicating that a substantial portion of hot-rolled coil imports into the EU originated from Japan in January.
