The European Commission has officially published Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, establishing the new EU steel trade regime that will apply from 1 July 2026, replacing the current steel safeguard measures which expire on 30 June 2026.
The new framework introduces annual tariff-rate quotas of 18.3 million tonnes and an out-of-quota duty of 50%, alongside new provisions such as the “melt and pour” requirement aimed at strengthening trade enforcement and preventing circumvention.
A key element, however, remains to be finalised. While the Regulation establishes the overall quota volumes, the country-specific allocation of these quotas will be determined through a separate Commission implementing act, which has not yet been published. The Regulation states that this implementing act should apply from 1 July 2026 and will define the distribution of tariff quotas among exporting countries.
Commenting on the publication, trade lawyer Yuriy Rudyuk highlighted that the absence of the implementing act creates uncertainty for importers and supply chains, particularly as negotiations with several FTA partner countries are reportedly still ongoing. Until the country allocations are formally adopted, questions remain regarding the practical operation of the new quota system from day one.
