Europe has recognised silicon metal as a strategic raw material, essential for industries ranging from aluminium and chemicals to solar panels, electronics and defence. Yet unfairly priced imports, particularly from China, threaten the survival of Europe's remaining producers.

The European Commission has launched a review of anti-dumping measures on Chinese silicon metal. IndustriAll Europe welcomes the move but warns that the process could take up to 15 months. Workers and plants cannot afford to wait that long.

"The contradiction is glaring: the EU has designated silicon metal as a critical and strategic raw material, yet it is failing to protect its remaining European production and workers from cheap and unfairly priced imports. A Critical Raw Materials strategy is meaningless if inadequate trade measures allow furnaces to close, skilled jobs to disappear and decades of industrial know how to be lost. Workers are paying the price for the gap between the EU’s political ambitions and its failure to act. The Commission must urgently introduce effective trade measures before this loss becomes irreversible." said Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll Europe's General Secretary. 

The consequences are already being felt. In France, at least 739 jobs could be affected across Ferroglobe's operations, while unions estimate that another 1,290 indirect jobs depend on its silicon plants in Montricher, Anglefort and Les Clavaux. At Montricher, 147 workers are on short-time work arrangements until 31 October.

In Spain, production at Ferroglobe's Sabón plant, the country's only silicon metal production facility, has been suspended. Its 113 workers face temporary employment suspension, while around 200 indirect jobs are also at risk.

Permanent closures would destroy more than jobs. They would mean losing skilled workers, decades of industrial knowledge and production capacity that would be extremely difficult to rebuild.

Urgent action needed to defend European industry

Today's demonstration follows repeated warnings from industriAll Europe and its affiliates. Since November 2025, unions have called for stronger trade defence measures and an industrial strategy to protect European-made, low-carbon silicon metal.

On 6 October, industriAll Europe General Secretary Judith Kirton-Darling wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for urgent political intervention. The following day, industriAll Europe submitted evidence on the jobs at risk to the Commission's anti-dumping review.
IndustriAll Europe is calling on the Commission to speed up the review, explore all legal options to prevent irreversible closures and ensure that anti-dumping measures restore fair competition. The EU must also address risks to the wider ferro-alloys industry, investigate forced labour concerns in international supply chains and prevent trade measures from harming legitimate imports from trusted partners.

Europe currently produces only around 15% of the silicon it needs. Losing more production would increase its dependence on imports and undermine its ambitions for strategic autonomy and the green and digital transitions.

The workers demonstrating in Brussels are defending more than their jobs. They are defending Europe's industrial future.
The EU must match its strategic ambitions with urgent action. Once furnaces close and skilled teams disperse, it may be too late.