French authorities announced on Monday evening that European industry ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting in Paris on Thursday to discuss ways to “ensure the continuity” of steel production in Europe after the United States imposed heavy tariffs on its steel imports.

The European steel industry, which employs more than 300,000 people, is concerned after the administration of US President Donald Trump increased tariffs on steel imports from the United States by 25%.

This increase comes at a time when the sector has been suffering since last year from two devastating factors: the abundance of Chinese steel production at very low costs and the excessive rise in energy prices in Europe.

The French Ministry of Industry said that the French Minister of Industry Marc Ferracci and the Italian Minister of Industry Adolfo Orso had invited their European counterparts to hold this meeting in Paris “in the presence of the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union.”

The European Commission considered the additional US tariffs “unjustified” and “illegal”, warning that they would backfire economically.

According to the French ministry, about 15 European steel-producing countries were invited to participate in the Paris meeting.

These countries are Poland, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Greece, Finland, Austria, Hungary, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Belgium and Slovenia.

The French Ministry of Industry explained that the list of participants in the meeting has not been fully prepared.

According to the ministry, the ministers will discuss the problems facing the sector and will discuss the results and solutions with other parties in the steel industry, i.e. “companies and unions alike”.

At the end of the meeting, a joint declaration on steel is expected to be issued, including concrete proposals.