EC’s proposed safeguard to curb EU ferroalloy imports by 25%
The European Commission is proposing a three-year safeguard measure to reduce the EU’s imports of four silicon- and manganese-based alloying elements by 25% compared to the inflows over the last three years, according to an official document seen by Platts.
Initially, the safeguard investigation launched in December 2024 concerned imports of six ferro-alloying elements: silicon, ferro-manganese, ferro-silicon, ferro-silico-manganese, ferro-silico-magnesium, calcium-silicon. But silicon and calcium-silicon were later excluded, given stable imports of silicon and the end of domestic production of calcium-silicon.
Set to take effect Nov. 18 and run through Nov. 17, 2028, the measures will comprise product-specific tariff-rate quotas, or TRQs, allocated by country and product. They are set 25% below the average import volumes of 2022-2024 to allow EU ferroalloy producers to restore their domestic market share to 30%-40%.
Imports within TRQs will continue to enter the EU duty-free, with out-of-quota volumes incurring a variable duty equal to the difference between the actual import price and the price threshold, which is established at Eur1,316/mt for ferro-manganese, Eur2,408 for ferro-silicon, Eur1,392 for ferro-silico-manganese, and Eur3,647 for ferro-silico-magnesium.
The safeguards have no mechanism to change the minimum price, but the duty-free quota volumes will increase by 0.1% annually on Nov. 18, 2026, and Nov. 18, 2027.
Euroalliages, the European association of ferro-alloys and silicon producers, urged EU member states to support the proposed measures in a Nov. 13 LinkedIn post.
“Without these safeguards, the European ferroalloy industry will not exist in five years. A united approach will protect jobs, strategic autonomy and Europe’s ability to lead in innovation and security,” Euroalliages said.
Ferroalloys are essential for producing high-quality steel used in tanks, ammunition, and drones. Specifically, silicon-based alloys are critical for semiconductors, navigation systems, wind turbines, and next-generation batteries, according to Euroalliages.
Sharp rise in imports
The Commission states that its safeguard action responds to a sharp rise in ferro-alloy imports, which, from 2021 onward, penetrated the EU at prices 5%-17% below those of domestic producers.
The key findings showed that imports of ferro-alloys covered by the investigation rose from 1.14 million mt in 2019 to 1.33 million in 2024. The 17% surge was linked to global overcapacity and trade diversion. In 2023, global ferro-alloy capacity reached 46 million mt, significantly exceeding the consumption of 27.6 million mt. Further expansion is expected to increase overcapacity to 27 million mt, equivalent to 16 times EU demand.
In addition, US trade defense measures as of March 2025 restricted ferro-silicon imports from Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia, diverting approximately 73,000 mt to the EU, the equivalent of about 21% of 2024 EU production.
Over 2019-2024, the period spanned by the investigation, the EU ferro-alloy industry experienced a sharp deterioration across most indicators: the union consumption declined 7%, domestic production and sales fell 50% and 41%, respectively, with capacity utilization down from 56% to 35%, which was also the result of a double-digit fall in EU exports.
Imports from Norway and Iceland (47% of 2024 total) were found to contribute to the injury, but Ukraine is excluded from the scope of the safeguard, as are imports from WTO developing members, provided their share is less than 3%. Some developing countries have exceeded that limit; therefore, the measure will apply to imports from Brazil, China, Georgia, India, Malaysia, South Africa, Thailand, and Zambia.
Platts assessed standard ferrosilicon, ferromanganese, and silicomanganese prices Nov. 12 at Eur1,215/mt, Eur937.5/mt, and Eur955/mt, respectively, on a DDP Northwestern Europe basis, flat week over week. A trader said that “people stopped offering” material ahead of the EC safeguard announcement.
The announcement was initially expected by Aug. 18, which prompted ferrosilicon and ferromanganese prices to rise sharply to their Eur1,600/mt and Eur1,125/mt peaks on Aug. 20, up 65% and 16.5% from their respective levels at the end of July.
Italian rebar producers gradually push through price rises
“Mills are trying to put prices up, because they have to improve earnings before the year’s end,” a market source said.
Mills had increased their offers to €565-570 ($654-660) per tonne ex-works in the week to November 5, but only managed to secure deals within the range of €540-560 per tonne ex-works.
Offers rose again in the week to Wednesday, to €580-600 per tonne ex-works, while deals were reported in the range of €540-570 per tonne ex-works.
“The uptrend seems to be real,” the market source said. “Pittini’s EAF fire is beginning to have an effect on sales.”
Pittini Group’s flagship Ferriere Nord long steel plant at Osoppo in northeastern Italy was damaged by a fire in late October, which led to the shutdown of the facility’s electric-arc furnace (EAF).
The site is expected to resume operations in late November-early December. Meanwhile, the company is trying to secure billet supply from several European mills to keep its rolling activities on track.
“At the moment, customers are still in wait-and-see mode; but we think they’ll start to buy again in the next few days,” the source added.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar) domestic, exw Italy was €540-570 per tonne on Wednesday, widening upward by €10 per tonne from €540-560 per tonne on November 5.
Romanian longs prices still stable but demand and liquidity constraints persist
The Romanian long steel market has remained stable again this week, with both rebar and wire rod prices showing no major changes.
Market participants describe overall activity as quiet, with limited sales amid weak demand and ongoing liquidity constraints. Most traders and the domestic producer have kept their offers unchanged, citing stable costs and a lack of market drivers for any revisions. Despite price stability, sentiment remains cautious, as financial strain, project delays and slow payments continue to limit buying interest. Sources note that the market currently reflects stagnation rather than a recovery, with little sign of an improvement in the coming weeks.
In the domestic market, rebar prices have stayed firm at €550-555/mt ex-works, as the country’s sole producer has maintained its existing offer levels. Spot traders have likewise kept prices stable, quoting at €555-565/mt ex-warehouse, similar to last week. A few distributors have continued to provide minor discounts to stimulate sales, with prices occasionally heard at around €540-545/mt ex-warehouse, particularly for larger orders.
The wire rod market has followed a similar trend, with trading volumes remaining low and prices unchanged over the past week. Offers have remained stable at €560-570/mt ex-warehouse, reflecting the ongoing weakness in both demand and liquidity.
On the import side, the market has shown a comparable weakness. While some Romanian buyers continue to purchase small or medium-sized lots to replenish inventories, overall import activity remains slow. Stable offer levels from external suppliers in recent weeks, combined with weak domestic conditions, have further limited trading interest and kept market dynamics muted. According to market sources, EU suppliers have maintained stable pricing, with the Bulgarian mill offering rebar at €570-580/mt CPT and the Moldovan supplier keeping levels at around €550/mt CPT, unchanged from last week. Among non-EU suppliers, Egyptian mills have kept their rebar offers at €485-490/mt CFR and their wire rod offers at €495-500/mt CFR. Turkish suppliers have applied minor reductions of about €5/mt over the past week, mainly due to exchange rate movements, with current offers at €485-500/mt CFR, based on an exchange rate of €1 = $1.16 and freight costs of €15-20/mt.
