Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) has deferred the wind-down of its long-products business by six months amid widespread concern regarding the detrimental impact of the closure on downstream industry and jobs and following consultations with government and other affected stakeholders during which several short-term interventions were agreed. The deferral announcement was made despite AMSA reporting a R1.89-billion loss for 2023, which represented a dramatic R4.5-billion negative swing from earnings of R2.6-billion in 2022.
