European steel association Eurofer warns that the new EU-US trade framework leaves EU steel exports highly vulnerable, as the 50% US tariff on around 4 million tonnes of steel will remain in place until a binding agreement is finalised.
Director general Axel Eggert says the vague wording of the deal risks long delays. Eggert urges the European Commission to introduce in September a strong new trade defence measure in line with the EU Steel Action Plan. He stressed that immediate action is needed to restore preferential access for traditional EU steel exports to the US, Kallanish notes.
“Work must start immediately to get back to preferential access for traditional EU steel volumes to the US as no deadline is set and we already see the huge delay, for instance, in the implementation of the US-UK deal,” Eggert explains.
Eurofer highlights that higher tariffs endanger steel-intensive EU exports such as vehicles and machinery and could wipe out longstanding EU steel trade with the US. Since 2018, the European steel sector has lost around 30mt of demand due to global overcapacity, US Section 232 tariffs, and weaker EU demand, with the latest additional US tariffs of 25% in March and 50% in June worsening the situation.
The joint EU-US statement on Thursday confirms the 28 July deal between President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The framework includes a 15% tariff on most EU products but a 50% tariff on EU steel, aluminium and derivatives, with the possibility of moving toward a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system. Both sides pledged to cooperate on shielding their markets from global steel overcapacity whilst ensuring secure bilateral supply chains.
2025.08.21 EUROFER press release US-EU framework
Elina Virchenko Ukraine
