The allocation of quotas for steel imports to the EU remains unresolved
The European Union has confirmed the scope of its protective regime for steel replacement, but the allocation of quotas for specific countries that will determine market access from July 1 remains unpublished.
Although today's (June 24) publication of Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 confirms annual tariff quotas (TRQs) totaling 18.3 million tonnes and a 50% duty on non-quota imports, the European Commission has yet to publish a separate implementing act that will allocate these quotas. The volume of supplies between the supplier countries.
The new regime will enter into force on July 1, 2026, replacing the existing protective measures for steel, which expire on June 30.
However, John Carruthers-Green, a member of the European Parliament and an analyst of the international steel market, said that the continued lack of clarity on the distribution of tariff rates in specific countries is a significant source of uncertainty for importers and distributors. He said that the lack of quotas for specific countries had led to speculation about how to arrange their introduction.
"Many market participants expected that the legislation would be accompanied by the allocation of quotas for specific countries, as this would ultimately determine how much materials individual supplier countries could supply to the EU duty-free," he said.
"The regulations provide the basis, but there is only one week left, and the market is still waiting for details. The materials are already in ports, warehouses, and customs offices awaiting confirmation of new distributions. If the distribution by country is not published by July 1, product quotas could potentially be introduced retrospectively or initially operate on a global basis. In this latter scenario, imports from all countries of origin will compete for the same quota amounts, which will create the potential for a sharp increase in customs clearance volumes."
Clarification on the application of a protective trading regime
A recently published Commission resolution confirms that unused quota volumes will be automatically transferred to the next quarterly quota period during the first year of the new TRQ regime. From July 2027, transitional agreements will become conditional, allowing the European Commission to take into account factors such as quota usage, import pressures, and downstream supply requirements when determining whether unused volumes should remain available.
Melting and casting requirements will be introduced from October 1, 2026, with importers required to provide evidence indicating where the steel was first produced in liquid form and cast in solid state. This will help solve