German Steel Federation welcomes new EU trade defense instrument, calls for further measures
The German Steel Federation (WV Stahl) has stated that it has welcomed the agreement between EU institutions on a new, significantly strengthened trade defense instrument for steel imports, describing it as a key step to protect the German and European steel industry.
The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on new measures aimed at protecting the EU steel industry from global overcapacity and rising import pressure, as SteelOrbis previously reported.
New system to strengthen protection against import pressure
According to the association, the new instrument will introduce country- and product-specific tariff-rate quotas with clearly defined ceilings. Once these limits are exceeded, a 50 percent import tariff will apply.
Kerstin Maria Rippel, managing director of the WV Stahl, stated that the agreement sends a strong signal to protect the steel sector from the effects of global overcapacity while maintaining market openness.
The new framework is expected to address key weaknesses of the previous system by increasing flexibility and responsiveness to market developments. It will also include new rules on determining the origin of goods to prevent circumvention practices, such as rerouting steel through third countries to bypass trade measures.
Industry calls for further measures
While welcoming the agreement, the WV Stahl stressed that additional steps are needed to address the ongoing crisis in the sector.
These include closing gaps in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, creating lead markets for low-emission steel produced in the EU, and ensuring competitive energy prices for energy-intensive industries.
IMF cuts global growth outlook for 2026 as geopolitical risks intensify
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised its global growth outlook forecast for 2026 and 2027 in its April 2026 World Economic Outlook report, projecting global growth at 3.1 percent in 2026, down from previous expectations, before a modest recovery to 3.2 percent in 2027. The revision reflects increasing uncertainty driven by the Middle East conflict, alongside ongoing trade tensions and financial market volatility.
Global headline inflation is expected to increase slightly in 2026, largely due to rising energy costs, before declining again in 2027. The combined effect of slower growth and higher inflation is expected to weigh more heavily on emerging and developing economies, where external vulnerabilities remain elevated.
Risks tilt toward lower growth and higher inflation
The IMF noted that the balance of risks has shifted, with downside risks to growth and upside risks to inflation becoming more pronounced. Adverse scenarios involving weaker growth and higher inflation are now more likely compared to earlier forecasts.
Global trade is expected to weaken in the near term due to geopolitical tensions, rising trade barriers, and ongoing supply chain disruptions. Trade fragmentation and tariff increases are identified as key risks that could further dampen economic activity and reduce long-term output.
Advanced economies face uneven recovery
In the United States, growth is projected at 2.3 percent in 2026 and 2.1 percent in 2027, supported by domestic demand and fiscal measures, though trade barriers continue to weigh on activity.
In the euro area, growth is expected to remain subdued at 0.9 percent in 2026 and one percent in 2027, reflecting weak industrial output and sensitivity to energy prices.
The United Kingdom is projected to see growth slow to 0.8 percent in 2026 before recovering to 1.3 percent in 2027. The report attributes the 2026 slowdown to the war and a slower pace of monetary easing, while the 2027 recovery remains slower than expected before the war because the effects of higher energy prices persist.
For Japan, the IMF stated that growth is foreseen at 1.2 percent in 2026, and 1.2 percent in 2027. Japan benefits from stronger growth momentum and offsetting government measures, which help moderate the impact of the Middle East conflict relative to other advanced economies.
Emerging markets show mixed outlook
China’s growth is forecast at 4.4 percent in 2026 and four percent in 2027, supported by policy stimulus but constrained by structural challenges. The 2026 forecast is revised upward relative to October because lower US effective tariff rates on Chinese goods and stimulus measures offset the negative effects of the Middle East conflict. The slowdown in 2027 is attributed to structural headwinds, including a prolonged housing slowdown, a declining labor force, diminishing returns on investment, and weaker productivity growth.
India remains one of the fastest-growing major economies, with growth projected at 6.5 percent in both 2026 and 2027. For 2026, growth is revised upward moderately by 0.3 percentage point, led by positive contributions from the carryover of the strong 2025 outturn and the decline in additional US tariffs on Indian goods from 50 to 10 percent, which outweigh the adverse impact of the Middle East conflict.
Turkey’s growth forecast has been revised downward by 0.8 percentage point to 3.4 percent in 2026, as 2025 growth was weaker than expected and higher oil and gas prices weigh on activity. The IMF’s growth forecast for 2027 has been cut to 3.5 percent from 4.1 percent previously.
Structural risks and global imbalances
Energy prices are expected to rise in the near term due to geopolitical disruptions, contributing to inflation and affecting trade balances. Global financial conditions remain tight, with high interest rates weighing on investment and credit growth, particularly in emerging markets.
Debt vulnerabilities remain elevated, especially in low-income countries, where refinancing risks are significant. Trade tensions and tariff increases continue to pose risks to global output, while persistent current account imbalances reflect underlying structural differences across economies.
ASSOFERMET calls for urgent measures for the European steel and metals industry
Northern European HRC prices edge down on discounted Q2 sales; July offers firm, supported by trade regime
Steel hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices in Northern Europe inched downward on Thursday as some suppliers sold the last tonnages of the second-quarter delivery volumes at a discount; near-term sentiment remained firm, driven by the imminent new trade regime, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday April 16.
Fastmarkets’ daily steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Northern Europe was €709.48 ($836.58) per tonne on Thursday April 16, down by €9.48 per tonne from €718.96 per tonne on Wednesday April 15.
The index was also down by €10.52 per tonne week on week but up by €3.85 per tonne month on month.
A large European steelmaker sold a large tonnage of HRC, cold-rolled coil (CRC) and hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) with the second-quarter delivery to several steel service centers (SSCs). Total volumes were about 50,000 tonnes, with HRC accounting for about half of it.
The HRC price was reported at around €680 per tonne ex-works, CRC at €790 per tonne ex-works, and HDG at €800 per tonne ex-works.
Sources said that SSCs were looking to replace flat steel volumes due to technical issues at one of the Benelux-based integrated mills, which has been unable to deliver some orders.
A medium-tonnage deal for HRC was heard done in Germany at €725 per tonne delivered (€710 per tonne ex-works) for June delivery.
Buyers estimated achievable prices at €700-720 per tonne ex-works in April.
Several integrated mills indicated target offers at €750-770 per tonne ex-works for July delivery coil, expecting tighter import availability to support the increase, owing to the implementation of a new trade regime as of July 1.
Overall, trading activity remained limited, with buyer sources saying they have sufficient inventories and are in no hurry to purchase new tonnages.
“There is a lot of uncertainty over the new trade regime and new imports; new target offers European mills [have] indicated for July are not workable so far, so everybody just waits,” a buyer source in the Benelux area said.
A leading European steelmaker was yet to announce new offers for second-quarter delivery HRC. Sources expected the company to come back with fresh offers in late April.
“[The European mill] waits for country-specific quota volumes for imports to be revealed – after that we expect a big “jump” in offers,” a buyer source in Germany said.
Earlier this week, the European Council and European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on a new trade regime. A new tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system is set to replace the existing steel safeguard measures starting July 1. This will cut the overall volume of steel import quotas by approximately 47% compared with the 2024 safeguard quotas (18.3 million tonnes of import volumes per year) and increase the out-of-quota duty to 50% from the current 25%, Fastmarkets understands.
The distribution of TRQ quotas between countries is yet to be revealed.
In Southern Europe, meanwhile, Fastmarkets’ daily steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Italy was calculated at €698.75 per tonne ex-works on April 16, up by €0.25 per tonne from €698.50 per tonne on Wednesday.
The index was down by €0.25 per tonne week on week but up by €4.75 per tonne month on month.
Sources in Italy estimated achievable prices for HRC to be around €690-700 per tonne ex-works, while local sellers maintained offers at no lower than €700 per tonne ex-works.
In the secondary market, sources reported transactions for 4mm S235 grade hot-rolled (HR) sheet at €800 per tonne CPT in Italy.
A local re-roller, which suspended HRC production at the beginning of April due to technical issues, was expected to resume operations during May, sources told Fastmarkets.
Meanwhile, new import HRC offers to Europe remained limited. Sources said that only suppliers from Turkey, India and Algeria were active in the market, offering June shipments.
One source, however, claimed that an Indian mill was able to offer HRC shipment in mid-May, which would mean end-June arrival – so before the new trade regime is implemented. From India, offers were heard at €600 per tonne CFR to Italy.
On Thursday, offers for Turkish coil were reported at €620-630 per tonne CFR to Italy, including anti-dumping duty. One source reported offer for Turkish material at lower levels of €605-610 per tonne CFR.
From Algeria, offers were heard around €680 per tonne CFR to Spain.
European CRC, HDG prices decline amid weak demand; cautious buyers
European domestic cold-rolled coil (CRC) and hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) prices decreased in the week to Wednesday April 15, with reports of subdued trading activity as buyers resisted higher prices from mills, Fastmarkets heard.
The downward movement followed a recent upward momentum observed in European domestic flat steel coils, supported by tighter import availability as a result of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and new safeguard measures, set to come into effect on July 1.
Sources said that there was currently little demand for imported material in Europe, while buyers’ appetite for domestic coil also appeared to have subsided, with the market remaining in a wait-and-see mood.
CRC and HDG were heard to be available for July delivery, according to a source, with reports of mills remaining sufficiently booked.
In Northern Europe, prices for domestic CRC and HDG decreased in the week to Wednesday.
Estimates of workable levels for CRC were heard at €810-820 ($955-967) per tonne ex-works, while offers were reported in the range of €815-820 per tonne ex-works.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel cold-rolled coil domestic, exw Northern Europe was €810-820 per tonne on Wednesday, down from €820-830 per tonne the previous week.
The weekly price assessment for steel hot-dipped galvanized coil domestic, exw Northern Europe was €810-820 per tonne on Wednesday, also down from €820-830 per tonne the previous week.
The updated range matched sources’ estimates of workable levels, also heard around €810-820 per tonne ex-works during the week.
According to a source in Northern Europe, market sentiment had become “a little bit negative” as a result of recent geopolitical developments, which have affected growth rates.
“Nobody expects that prices will collapse, but third-quarter market increases might not be realistic,” the source added.
Meanwhile, Southern European domestic CRC and HDG prices also decreased.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel cold-rolled coil domestic, exw Southern Europe was €800-825 per tonne on Wednesday, widening downward from €820-825 per tonne the previous week.
The upper end of the range was estimated to offers heard around €825 per tonne ex-works, while estimates of tradable levels were heard at €800 per tonne ex-works.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel hot-dipped galvanized coil domestic, exw Southern Europe was €810-820 per tonne on Wednesday, down from €825-835 per tonne the previous week.
The lower end was estimated to a deal heard at €810 per tonne ex-works, while offers were reported around €815-820 per tonne ex-works.
Meanwhile, import prices for CRC and HDG across the region were unchanged in the week to Wednesday, both on a CFR and a DDP basis, amid a lack of clarity around new trade measures.
Offers for HDG from Japan to Italy were heard around €780-789 per tonne CFR, but no new trading activity was reported during the assessment period.
“Nobody knows how much the new safeguards are going to impact [imports],” a source told Fastmarkets, adding that there was no significant demand for imported material, especially now that delivery times have been extended.
The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East has recently led to higher freight costs and broader logistical issues, especially for Asian importers, Fastmarkets heard.
Norway’s Blastr ready to reboot steelmaking at dormant UK EAF plant
Norwegian steel startup company Blastr was understood to be the preferred bidder for the previously Liberty-owned Speciality Steel UK (SSUK), which includes sites at Rotherham and Stocksbridge, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday April 16.
UK industry representatives were hopeful that the chosen bidder will eventually restart steelmaking at the electric-arc furnace (EAF) unit in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, which has been largely dormant since 2024.
The UK government announced on Wednesday that “a period of exclusivity has been agreed with a preferred bidder, marking the next stage of a future sale agreement,” without disclosing the identity of the preferred bidder.
It was part of the UK government’s efforts to move SSUK back into private ownership, following its liquidation under previous owner Liberty Steel in August 2025 and subsequent entry into government receivership.
The process was expected to last around five weeks, during which the bidder would be expected to progress its bid, the UK government said.
A UK industry source confirmed on Thursday that Blastr was the preferred bidder for the unit, though he was unsure of the company’s plans at this stage.
The expectation was for the assets to be acquired with the intention of resuming steel production, he added, noting that alternative uses would be uneconomic given the nature and value of the facilities.
Norway’s Blastr was established in 2021 with the intention of becoming a low-carbon integrated steel producer.
The company has previously outlined plans to develop approximately 2.5 million tonnes per year of hot and cold rolled steel capacity through EAF production in Finland.
The company also said in 2023 that it was exploring plans for a UK direct reduction (DR) pelletizing facility in Teesside, northeastern England, to supply direct reduction iron feedstock to its planned steelmaking operations in Finland.
Major market participant
The business had been unable to continue steelmaking operations due to a lack of financial capital to procure raw materials such as ferrous scrap, the UK source said, although he added that equipment at the sites was ready to restart once funding conditions allowed.
Before its closure, it was one of the largest domestic scrap consuming companies alongside Tata Steel’s basic oxygen furnaces (BOFs) in Port Talbot and Celsa Steel’s EAF complex, both in Wales, the latter now owned by Sev.en Global Investments.
With Tata’s shuttering of its melting operations to make way for EAFs later in the decade, together with the idling of the Rotherham EAF, UK steel production and domestic scrap use slumped to new lows in 2024-25.
UK steel output fell to 2.50 million tonnes in 2025, down by 38% year on year, according to the World Steel Association.
Liberty Speciality Steel UK includes three mills. These are:
• Rotherham Steel & Bar, equipped with a 1.3 million tpy EAF, focused on production of speciality steel bars
• Brinsworth Narrow Strip, capable of producing 300,000 tpy of hot-rolled coil and a range of other grades; and
• Stocksbridge High Value Manufacturing, focused on production of merchant bar (500,000 tpy).
Hopes of restart
Industry bodies and trade unions welcomed the development. Trade body UK Steel said that the identification of a preferred bidder was a constructive step toward securing the future of the business.
“The announcement of a preferred bidder for SSUK is a positive move toward moving the company back into private ownership, securing the future of this vital national asset. We await further details with great interest,” Gareth Stace, director general of UK Steel, said on Thursday.
“This is an important moment and we hope that this milestone – following the government’s intervention last autumn – will help to end the long period of uncertainty which our members at SSUK have endured,” Roy Rickhuss, steelworker trade union Community’s general secretary, said on Wednesday.
Before its stoppage, SSUK was supplying high-grade speciality steel products to the defense and aerospace industries, supplying key customers such as Rolls-Royce and Airbus, according to market sources.
This made the unit highly important, given a renewed focus on defense spending in European political discourse following the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine and, more recently, in Iran and Lebanon.
“SSUK’s sites are vital strategic assets,” Rickhuss added, “and with the right plan in place, the business can have a bright future.”
European steel rebar producers continue price push, but regional uptake uneven
European steel rebar producers continued to seek higher prices in the domestic markets amid rising costs and tightening import activity in the week to Wednesday April 15, but regional acceptance was uneven, trade sources told Fastmarkets.
n Germany and France, new rebar offers were heard at €700 ($824) per tonne delivered.
Most recent estimates of workable levels in Northern European market were within the range of €665-680 per tonne delivered when Fastmarkets’ made its weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, on April 15 at €665-680 per tonne, up from €655-665 per tonne on April 8.
After publication, market sources reported that prices closer to €700 per tonne delivered were being gradually accepted in Germany.
“You would see a wide range of prices these days, because the market is exposed to constant change, from rising scrap and electricity costs to more pressure on import material [because of] regulations,” a German producer said, but adding that market sentiment remained positive.
In Southern Europe, customers’ responses were also mixed, with Spanish buyers accepting higher prices but those in Italy mainly taking a wait-and-see stance.
In Spain, suppliers managed to achieve €730 per tonne delivered base in some deals (corresponding to €745 per tonne delivered effective) when the weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Spain, was published on April 15 at €725-745 per tonne, up from €715-725 per tonne on April 8.
Later in the day, information emerged about larger volumes being sold at this price and mills now seeking €750 per tonne delivered base, €765 per tonne delivered effective.
Italian suppliers also announced higher offers at €710-720 per tonne ex-works for the North and €740-750 per tonne ex-works for the South.
These higher prices, however, have not been achieved in deals, with customers postponing the booking of new volumes while seeking more clarity on the situation.
Estimates of workable prices for the North remained at €670-680 per tonne ex-works, while in the South prices are traditionally €20-30 per tonne higher, which would correspond to €690-710 per tonne ex-works.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Italy, widened upward slightly to €670-710 per tonne ex-works on April 15, compared with €670-700 per tonne on April 8.
Wire rod offers in Southern Europe varied within the wide range of €670-710 per tonne delivered, with the lower end representing Italy and higher end Spain.
Unlike in rebar, mills were more successful in winning deals at the above prices.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality) domestic, delivered Southern Europe, was €670-710 per tonne on April 15, up from €650-680 per tonne on April 8.
EUROMETAL urges EU to extend steel safeguard measures to downstream products
European steel distributors, processors and manufacturers have called for urgent EU action to extend existing steel safeguard measures to downstream steel-based products, warning that the region risks rapid deindustrialization without immediate policy intervention, SteelOrbis heard at the press conference on April 14 organized by EUROMETAL at the Wire & Tube 2026 fair in Dusseldorf.
Speaking at the press conference, EUROMETAL representatives said a pan-European initiative backed by more than 300 companies and 35 associations will be submitted to EU member states and the European Commission on April 15. The signatories represent over one million direct jobs across the steel value chain.
Rising import pressure and cost disparities weigh on competitiveness
According to industry representatives, European steel processing and manufacturing sectors are facing increasing pressure from lower-cost imports, particularly from Asia, while domestic producers struggle with significantly higher energy, labor and regulatory costs.
Speakers highlighted that the price gap between Europe and third countries has widened to the extent that productivity gains alone are no longer sufficient to restore competitiveness. As a result, insolvency rates in the sector are rising at double-digit levels, while industrial activity is shifting outside Europe.
At the same time, imports of steel products into Europe are estimated to be increasing by around 20 percent annually, while steel consumption within the region continues to decline, indicating a structural shift in industrial activity.
Safeguards seen as insufficient without downstream coverage
While the EU has implemented safeguard measures and is set to introduce a new framework from July 1, industry participants stressed that current policies focus primarily on primary steel products, leaving downstream steel-intensive goods largely unregulated.
This imbalance is seen as creating a “double pressure” effect on European manufacturers: higher input costs due to safeguards and carbon-related measures, combined with unrestricted imports of finished or semi-finished steel-based products.
Industry representatives warned that protecting only one segment of the value chain risks weakening the entire system, as downstream sectors represent a critical link in Europe’s industrial structure.
Industry calls for full value chain protection
As part of the initiative, EUROMETAL and its partners are calling for trade measures to be extended across the entire steel value chain, including tariffs and quotas on steel-based and steel-intensive products under a broader range of customs classifications.
The proposed measures aim to ensure a level playing field by aligning the cost burden between EU producers and imported products, particularly in terms of carbon costs, trade defense measures and regulatory obligations.
In addition, the industry is urging the expansion of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to cover downstream steel products, arguing that the current scope does not adequately address carbon leakage risks across the full value chain.
Energy costs and regulatory burden add to pressure
High energy prices were also identified as a major factor undermining competitiveness, with calls for an EU-wide industrial electricity price cap of €0.05/kWh to support energy-intensive industries.
At the same time, existing regulatory frameworks, including CBAM, were described as complex and partially flawed, with industry representatives calling for a pause in new regulations until current mechanisms are revised and simplified.
Risks extend to jobs, economy and strategic autonomy
The industry warned that continued inaction could lead to significant job losses across the steel value chain, which employs around 13.5 million people in Europe.
Beyond economic impacts, speakers emphasized potential risks to Europe’s strategic autonomy, noting that increased reliance on imported steel products could affect critical sectors such as defense, energy and infrastructure.
Campaign to intensify pressure on policymakers
The initiative will be supported by the launch of an online platform, steelindustrynow.eu, which will showcase participating companies and provide further evidence of the sector’s challenges.
Industry representatives stressed that the campaign will continue until concrete measures are implemented, highlighting the urgency of the situation and warning that delays could result in irreversible industrial losses.
Author: SteelOrbis Editorial Team
The Eurozone and the EU recorded an increase in industrial production in February
NASS announces closure after 98 years of activity
The National Association of Steel Stockholders (NASS) has announced that it will cease operations in its current format, bringing to a close nearly a century of activity representing the UK steel stockholding and service centre sector.
Founded in 1927, NASS has played a longstanding role in supporting the UK steel distribution and processing industry. However, according to its Director General, Ian Darby, the organisation has faced increasing financial challenges in recent years, compounded by difficult trading conditions in the metals market and declining membership subscriptions.
Despite efforts to stabilise the organisation, it has not been possible to secure its continuation ahead of its 100th anniversary.
To ensure continuity, NASS has transferred the full and exclusive rights to its name—covering both the National Association of Steel Stockholders and the National Association of Steel Service Centres—to the International Steel Trade Association (ISTA).
ISTA has confirmed that it will engage with former NASS members and invite them to join its organisation, with the aim of continuing to represent the downstream steel sector in the UK. The association currently represents a broad range of stakeholders, including traders, service centres, manufacturers, logistics operators, and financial service providers, and maintains ongoing engagement with UK authorities on trade policy matters.
ISTA is actively involved in discussions with the UK Trade Remedies Authority and the Department for Business and Trade on key issues such as steel safeguards, anti-dumping measures, and the future implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
The closure of NASS marks the end of a historic industry body, while its legacy and representation are expected to continue through ISTA’s activities in the UK steel market.