The European Commission has begun consultations on future steel trade measures that will replace existing steel safeguards, and market participants expect the new measures to be put in place earlier than July 2026, Fastmarkets reports.
On Friday, July 18, the European Commission launched a targeted consultation aimed at identifying possible future actions to protect the EU steel industry from unfair trade practices and the negative effects of global steel overcapacity.
The existing steel protection measures have been in place since 2019 and were aimed at protecting EU steel producers from a potential increase in imports. The current measures, which expire on June 30, 2026,.
The Commission is seeking to find an "effective replacement" for the current EU steel guarantees.
Become industry participants by August 18, 2025, to submit their opinions on several options prepared by the commission.
In the third quarter of 2025, the commission should propose long-term measures based on tariff quotas to replace steel guarantees from July 1, 2026, providing an equivalent level of protection against negative trade-related effects caused by global overproduction.
Sources, however, told Fastmarkets that the new measures could come into effect earlier than July 2026.
"The idea is that the new measures will be implemented in January 2026," the source said.
Possible scenarios
The European Steel Producers Association (EUROFER) CEO, Axel Eggert, told delegates at the Eurometal 75th anniversary event earlier this month that any new measures should cover all major steel products, including steel derivatives and processed products.
The existing system of protection measures covers 26 product categories.
The Commission stated that the new "highly effective measures" should apply to all countries, "regardless of market orientation or development status."
Several sources told Fastmarkets they expect the new measures to be based on the product rather than the country.
"There will probably be tariff quotas for each metal product. And this[quota]will apply to all foreign suppliers without any exceptions," the source said.
Under current measures, many developing countries are exempt from steel guarantees, although there are some exceptions for certain product categories.
This allows for certain loopholes and an increase in the supply of certain types of steel products from countries that are not subject to protective measures to EU markets.
For example, earlier this year, sources reported a sharp increase in HRC shipments, especially from Indonesia.,
