Steelmaker Sidenor breaks with Israel after controversial shipment of steel for weapons production

BarcelonaThe Palestinian Community of Catalonia has filed a complaint with the National Court against a steel company in the Basque Country and a ship that set sail this Tuesday from the port of Barcelona with 122 tons of steel destined for Israel's main arms manufacturer. The entity had asked the judges to urgently stop the ship's departure for what they consider a crime of smuggling and complicity in genocide in Palestine.

According to the complaint, the steel comes from Sidenor, a steel company in the Basque Country certified as a NATO supplier for the production of military equipment, and is to be sent to Israel Military Industries (IMI), part of the Elbit Systems group, the company owned by the Israeli government and the main manufacturer of weapons for its army. Elbit's business areas include armor, infantry, artillery, naval, and ammunition, among others. The ship in charge of the transport, the Zim LuandaThe Maltese-flagged ship plans to continue its route to Valencia and then continue across the Mediterranean to the port of Mersin, Turkey, and then Haifa, the port city in northern Israel. The complaint specifically identifies the container carrying the 40 steel bars with the cargo documentation.

This is not the first time the Basque steelmaker has sent steel to the Israeli military industry. According to the documentation submitted to the complaint, the shipments began in August 2024, eight months after the UN International Court of Justice opened proceedings against the State of Israel, accused of genocide. According to the same source, the steelmaker has already sent 1,207 tons of steel to the Israeli weapons manufacturer. The most recent shipment was on June 4, with 393 tons transported by ship. MV Vela at the port of Haifa. The UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, publicly called on the Turkish authorities, where the ship made a stopover, to investigate its cargo and, if confirmed, "stop the ship and its illegal cargo before it reaches Israel." Documents submitted to the National Court confirm that the steel leaves Basauri, where the Sidenor factory is located, and is destined for IMI Systems' headquarters in the Israeli city of Ramat Sharon, after being unloaded at the port of Haifa.

Administrative Authorization

The complaint recalls that the sale of military-grade steel requires administrative authorization from the Spanish government. However, Pedro Sánchez's administration has repeatedly asserted that it has not authorized any new exports of defense material to Israel since October 7, 2023. In this regard, the complainants also see a potential crime of smuggling.

The complaint calls on the judicial authorities to urgently inspect the aforementioned container and, if it is confirmed that it is military-grade steel, seize the material. They also request that the ZIM shipping company and the Port Authorities confirm the sender and recipient of the container and previous shipments, and that the Ministry of Economy clarify whether the export of this material has the corresponding authorization.

"The Spanish state has ratified international humanitarian law conventions and has the obligation not to collaborate with states that violate fundamental rights, which also implies the obligation to decree the embargo of any shipment of military material to a country that commits war crimes. That is why the Spanish authorities must inspect the cargo of this ship and, if it is confirmed that it is military material, freeze it," says David Aranda, of Raíz Abogados, author of the complaint.

The Secretary of State for Trade, responsible for export authorizations for military material, has responded to ARA that it cannot know if that specific material has received authorization or even if it needs it. The decisions of the Interministerial Board that issues these authorizations are protected by state secrecy.

Upon learning of the arrival of the Zim LuandaBarcelona City Council reminded the president of the Port of Barcelona, José Alberto Carbonell, on Friday that the municipal plenary session approved an institutional declaration in May urging the prohibition of ships involved in arms trafficking with Israel from docking in the Catalan capital. In a statement, the port said at the time that it was not aware that any of the containers carried by the ship "violated current legislation" and asserted that port authorities do not have the authority to "prohibit or restrict the entry of ships" except in cases of risk related to public health, the safety and protection of facilities, and the environment. This newspaper has contacted Sidenor but has not yet received a response.