EU disputes Australia's steel protection claim due to lack of evidence
There is no evidence of a sharp increase in imports or a causal negative impact on local industry in the application of the Australian industry, which initiated a protective investigation into imported steel products, an EU representative said at a hearing on May 14.
The Australian government has instructed its independent advisory group, the Productivity Commission, to investigate the matter, which it did in January after lobbying from the Australian Steel Institute.
On May 13, ASI management initiated a three-day commission investigation, requesting an emergency safeguard measure in the form of a 50 percent tariff quota for steel structural products at the import level from 2022 to 2024, while the investigation is underway this year.
An application submitted by ASI in November 2025 for Australia to introduce temporary and final protective measures for steel structures required the determination of TRQ based on the average volume of imports over five years starting in January 2020.
"Between 2020 and 2024, Australian manufacturers demonstrated increasingly lower capacity utilization and, in many cases, reduced sales," ASI said in a statement, and, consequently, "imports were carried out at the expense of Australian manufacturers."
Joanna Pochtowska, head of the Trade and economic Department of the EU Delegation to Australia, who lives in Canberra, Australia, said at an investigation hearing on May 14 that the evidence presented so far "does not appear to include a comprehensive analysis of import dynamics during the relevant period" to Australia.
"The statement is based on a simple comparison of the endpoints from 2020 to 2024 without analyzing trends over time. This does not meet the standards of proof required by the rules[Of the World Trade Organization]," said Pochtovska.
Thus, the European Commission considers that the PC investigation should be terminated, which is "the most appropriate course of action in the light of the concerns expressed," said Pochtovska S. А.id .
This reflects the European Commission's April 9 submission to the PC's request, which states that "the investigation in its current form does not comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of the WTO Safeguards Agreement and should be terminated. Any alternative course of action would be incompatible with the applicable WTO rules and obligations."
The ASI statement also failed to provide evidence of serious damage, Pochtovsky said.
"Key economic indicators indicate a stable and, in some cases, improving situation in the domestic industry with a significant increase in profitability,