Germany’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2045 faces significant challenges due to the high carbon emissions from its industrial sector, particularly steel production. Current policies focusing on domestic hydrogen (H2) compatibility and imports from African countries risk economic insufficiency and overlook the scope and ambitions for green industrialisation and climate-positive growth on the African continent. This brief looks at the limitations of this approach and the potential for sourcing energy-intensive iron or steel directly from African countries, that have the potential of significantly higher generation capacities of renewable electricity in the future.