EU Plans to Cut Steel Imports by Almost Half
The European Union has reached a preliminary agreement on a significant reduction in steel imports and tighter tariff measures. The aim is to protect the domestic steel industry, which is facing growing pressure from abroad and operating at only around 65% of capacity.
Under the agreement, duty-free steel imports would be capped at 18.3 million tonnes a year, a 47% reduction from 2024 levels. Tariffs of 50% would apply to shipments above that limit. The measures are intended to help raise capacity utilization to as much as 80%.
The main steel suppliers to the Union include Turkey, South Korea, China and India. Current safeguard measures, introduced during Donald Trump’s first term in office, are due to expire at the end of June, as World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules limit such measures to a maximum of eight years.
The European Commission says the sector has lost around 100,000 jobs since 2008. The new rules are also intended to prevent circumvention through more precise tracking of the steel’s origin.
The agreement also foresees a phasing out of steel imports from Russia by 2028. The measures still require approval by the European Parliament and member states.