EUROMETAL and EUROFER have issued a joint statement calling for the urgent implementation of robust trade measures to safeguard the European steel value chain, with a particular focus on steel derivatives.
The European steel industry is facing unprecedented challenges. Deindustrialisation is accelerating across the production, distribution, and processing sectors — jeopardising the resilience and sustainability of an industry that is fundamental to Europe’s strategic autonomy. Imports of steel-based downstream products, many of which are not subject to existing safeguard or anti-dumping measures, continue to displace EU-manufactured goods and undercut domestic production.
Steel derivatives vital to Europe’s green transition — including components used in energy infrastructure — now make up as much as 50% of EU consumption, threatening jobs, innovation investment, and long-term viability across the supply chain.
The joint statement reflects a strong consensus across the European steel distribution sector, with the active participation of 12 national federations of steel distributors from across the EU27, united in urging policymakers to act decisively.
The joint statement reaffirms the shared commitment of EUROMETAL and EUROFER to an integrated, competitive, and future-ready steel ecosystem. Echoing the Steel and Metals Action Plan, the two associations stress that excluding downstream products from trade protections only shifts pressure further along the supply chain and increases the risk of carbon leakage under CBAM.
With global trade dynamics shifting — including record-high Chinese exports of both steel and embedded steel products — the statement underlines the urgent need for action to preserve European industrial capacity and ensure a just transition to a green and digital economy.
Joint Statement by EUROFER and EUROMETAL – Steel Derivatives
