The Czech Minister of Industry and Trade indicated that the country had requested to extend the exemption period for imports of Russian slabs until 2028.

Russian steel company Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) is the leading flat and long steel products supplier for the Czech Republic’s automotive sector, which accounts for about 10% of the national GDP.

The Czech Republic insisted it was difficult to replace the Russian slab supplier because no alternative manufacturers could satisfy quality and reliability requirements.