The European Union will increase steel import quotas by 15% from April in a move aimed at preventing cheap steel from entering the European market after Washington imposed new tariffs, Reuters reported, citing an EU official.
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European steelmakers, already under pressure from high energy prices and competition from Asia and elsewhere, warn that the EU risks becoming a dumping ground for cheap steel diverted from the US market, which could lead to the closure of European plants.
“In a situation where no one respects WTO (World Trade Organization) rules and everyone appeals to national security… the European Union cannot remain the only continent that allows its industry to decline,” European Commission Executive Vice-President Stephane Sejourné told Reuters.
With the US market made less commercially attractive by the 25% tariff imposed by the Trump administration, Sejourne predicts that producers from Canada, India and China will look to increase sales in Europe.
The chief executive of Europe's second-largest steelmaker Thyssenkrupp said Wednesday that the United States imported about 23 million metric tons of steel last year.
The EU's industrial strategy body said the first step would be to cut import quotas, known as safeguards, for a range of steel grades from April 1, cutting import volumes by around 15%.
Imports within the quota limits are in line with existing trade flows and are duty-free. Steel imports in excess of the quota will be subject to a duty of 25%.
In 2024, the European Union imported about 60 million metric tons of steel, of which 30 million tons were imported within the duty-free quota.
The European Commission also plans to introduce new measures in the third quarter to replace the enhanced safeguard measures, as they cannot be extended beyond June 30, 2026, under World Trade Organization rules.
Let us recall
In February 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, including supplies from the EU. The new tariffs came into effect on March 12.
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