Italian steel trade association Assofermet has filed an application to the EU to lift safeguard measures on all 28 product categories, which have been in force since 2018, a member of the association tells Kallanish.
“Today, we are witnessing an unprecedented crisis generated by sanctions against Russia, the impossibility of importing from Ukraine and a rise in energy costs impacting raw materials, semi-finished and finished products,” the representative comments.
The EU recently cancelled the quotas assigned to Russia and Belarus, and then transferred them to other countries. However, a significant share of Russia’s quotas was transferred to countries that, under normal conditions, already had a share exceeding the needs of the European market. The quotas assigned to Ukraine have not been subject to changes but are unlikely to be used in full before the end of the war there.
“These recent decisions that do not sort out the current issue of shortage in Europe have pushed us to apply for a temporary suspension of import restrictions, so that some balance is restored in the market in the short term, protecting the entire production chain,” the representative explains.
In early 2019, definitive annual quotas were imposed by the EU on material from Korea, Taiwan, India, USA, Turkey, Vietnam, Malaysia, and other countries. These replaced the provisional measures imposed in 2018. The measures were then extended in June 2021 for a further three years, with a tariff quota liberalisation of 3% on an annual basis.
Natalia Capra France
