EU lawmakers back near halving of duty-free steel imports and raised tariffs
Steel News | 2026-05-20 00:08:02
EU lawmakers voted by 606 to 16 in favour of the measures, with 39 abstentions.
By Paul Ploumis
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The European Parliament approved on Thursday limits to duty-free steel imports into the European Union in a move designed to protect the bloc's steel sector and increase its capacity utilisation to 80%.
EU lawmakers voted by 606 to 16 in favour of the measures, with 39 abstentions. The measures are to take effect from July 1.
The EU will reduce its tariff-free steel imports by 47% from 2024 levels to 18.3 million metric tons per year
For volumes above that level, tariffs of 50% will apply, up from a current 25%.
The EU will apply stricter rules on "melt and pour" traceability to determine where the steel is originally from and avoid circumvention of tariffs.
The European Commission will set quantities of duty-free steel per country by July 1. Lawmakers say the measures are designed to shield the EU from overproduction, but some have expressed support for maintaining higher volumes for Ukraine, which has been fighting Russia's invasion for over four years.
Last year, the main sources of steel imports into the EU were Turkey, South Korea, Indonesia, China, India, Ukraine, and Taiwan.
Courtesy: www.reuters.com
