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EU steel safeguard
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In March 2018, the US imposed tariffs on steel imports to the US of 25%. These measures applied to the EU as of June 2018. The EU reacted by imposing retaliatory tariffs on EU-bound EU products in late June 2018. In order to ward off the destabilising effects of deflected steels, a provisional EU safeguard on steel imports followed on 18 July 2018. The EU decided to implement a final safeguard measure in February 2019, which will last for four years, with annual reviews.
Essentially, the safeguard is a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) of 100% based on the import levels in 2015-2017, with a dissuasive 25% tariff above that. There are further specific rules regarding quarterly quotas for certain products and countries, with limited exceptions. These change periodically as the safeguard is reviewed.
Brussels, 18 January 2021 – EUROFER welcomes the extension for another five years of EU anti-dumping measures on imports of grain-oriented flat-rolled products of silicon-electrical steel (“GOES”) from China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the US. This important step will help EU GOES producers keep contributing to Europe’s energy efficiency and climate targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Brussels, 01 November 2021 – The European Steel Association (EUROFER) welcomes the statement of the EU and the US to tackle jointly shared challenges in the steel and aluminium sectors, including negotiating an arrangement on carbon intensity and global overcapacity, and replacing the current 25% tariff measure of the US Section 232 on EU steel imports by a tariff-rate quota regime (TRQ) based on historical volumes. The arrangement between the US and the EU is a first important step in favour of a globally decarbonised industry in light of COP26 negotiations.
Brussels, 28 June 2021 – The extension of the EU steel safeguard for another three years has been published today. This measure will ensure there is a modicum of certainty for EU steel producers, provide ample access to third-country supplies of steel for users, and help ward off disruptive post-COVID surges of steel imports.