Impacts of EU Steel Safeguards on Imports during first 4 months 2019

During first 4 months of 2019, EU steel safeguard and anti-dumping / anti-subsidy measures have been putting brakes on steel imports originating from non-EU origins.

This finding is based on an analysis of steel imports according to customs declarations.

In fact, the impact of EU steel safeguard quotas was particularly strong in long steel products and in tubular steel products where non-EU imports decreased significantly during first 4 months of 2019.

During same period, non-EU imports of flat steel products decelerated to +2,8 % year-on-year, coming from +5 % in 2018.

As a total, all non-EU steel imports during first 4 months 2019 were by -4% lower when compared with first 4 months of 2018.

The following table gives the development of non-EU steel imports by main product groups, each time in a year-on-year comparison.

NON EU IMPORTS 4 months 2019 year 2018
Long Steel Products -18,1%+30%
Flat Steel Products +2,8%+5%
Steel Tubes -10,5%+17%
All Steel Products -4,0%+12%

Source: EUROMETAL