Representatives from the
European Parliament and the Council of 27 member states have agreed to expand EU steel tariffs. Only 18.3 million tons of the most important steel imports are expected to reach the EU market duty-free every year – significantly less than in previous years. In addition, a 50 percent duty is due.
Steel imports into the EU are duty-free up to a certain amount per year; specific quotas apply to large suppliers such as Turkey and India. If the import quantity exceeded the respective upper limit, a tariff of 25 percent was previously due – this will now be doubled.
China produces more than half of the world’s steel
The EU throws in particular China before, his
Steel industry to use state aid to create an unfair advantage and ensure that there is too much steel on the market worldwide. According to figures from the World Steel Association China Last year around 961 million tons, more than half of the world’s steel. For comparison: German industry produced around 34 million tons of steel.
So far, the import quota has been so high that it has had little effect: the EU imported less steel than would have been possible duty-free. The mechanism dates back to the time of the tariff dispute during US President Donald Trump’s first term in office (2017 to 2021) and expires on July 1, 2026 according to the rules of the World Trade Organization.
The new quotas, however, should apply permanently and be regularly reviewed by the EU. They are intended to replace the old regulations and come into force once the European Parliament and the Council of Member States have formally approved the agreement.