The EU steel industry insists on the early adoption of new measures in the field of steel trade
The European Steel Producers Association (EUROFER) and the European Federation of Trade Unions IndustriALL Europe have warned that waiting until June 2026 to introduce new steel trade measures could leave the sector exposed during a period of unprecedented import pressure.
According to the organizations, the sector is "under pressure" with no improvement in the economic outlook, steel demand in Europe remains low and no significant recovery is expected. The restructuring of production facilities and plant closures continue, while global competitors expand production and global overcapacity increases. In addition, the share of unfair imports at low prices in the EU currently stands at 27%, which is twice the level of 2012.
There is already a massive accumulation of stocks in anticipation of future trade measures. EUROFER and IndustriALL have warned that if the new rules do not come into force until June 2026, importers will continue to flood the market throughout the next year, weakening the impact of the measure even before it is put into effect. They claim that:
- the action of this measure should begin no later than April 1, 2026.,
- postponing the adoption of amendments by Parliament or the Council will worsen the crisis.,
- 2026 risks becoming "another lost year" for steel producers in the EU if action is slow.
EUROFER and IndustriALL Europe called on EU institutions to act decisively, taking the European Commission's proposal as a priority, implementing a trade measure by April 2026 and combining it with a robust industrial strategy to protect the metals value chain in Europe. The organizations concluded that the steel industry and the hundreds of thousands of workers employed in it cannot wait for help until June.
Steelorbis.com