EUROFER and EUROMETAL urge for immediate trade measures
by David Fleschen
In a joint statement issued today, EUROFER and EUROMETAL have called for the swift implementation of targeted trade instruments to stabilise the European steel value chain. The industry bodies warn of “accelerating deindustrialisation” across production, distribution and processing — developments that threaten Europe’s industrial resilience, strategic autonomy, and long-term capacity for green transformation.
“The objective is not to halt imports,” the statement clarifies, “but to re-establish equilibrium and ensure that import volumes align with the sustainability of EU-based steel processing and manufacturing.”
At the heart of the concern lies the growing influx of third-country derivatives — including fabricated and transformed products — that enter the EU market without being subject to equivalent safeguards applied to primary steel imports. These developments, the associations argue, are exerting “significant pressure” on downstream sectors vital to the green transition.
“Products essential for certain energy applications now represent up to 50% of EU consumption,” they warn, highlighting the resulting job losses, suppressed investment in innovation, and further erosion of domestic production.
The appeal is firmly anchored in the Steel and Metals Action Plan, which already acknowledges the risk of carbon leakage in CBAM-covered goods. The associations argue that similar vulnerabilities are emerging in trade policy:
“Exempting downstream products from effective trade protections could intensify pressures — and subsequent damage — deeper into the supply chain.”
The statement references OECD data confirming a structural shift in global steel trade: 2024 saw record-high direct steel exports from China, alongside rapid growth in embedded steel flows via finished products, particularly from South and Southeast Asia.
According to EUROFER and EUROMETAL, this reinforces the need to view the value chain holistically. “Strengthening each segment… is essential for Europe to maintain access to high-quality materials, drive industrial decarbonisation, and achieve a fair transition to a green and digital economy.”