EUROMETAL calls on National Federations to track and report Steel Derivatives
On Tuesday, 24 June 2025, EUROMETAL convened a virtual National Federations Meeting with representatives from 13 national steel distribution and processing federations across Europe. The meeting, chaired by EUROMETAL President Alexander Julius, focused on reinforcing coordination and joint responses to the pressing challenges facing the European steel value chain.
A key item on the agenda was the EUROMETAL Call to Action on Steel Derivatives, which seeks to identify imports of ready-made steel products that bypass current EU safeguard measures and CBAM obligations. Participants exchanged updates on national-level engagement and shared approaches for collecting market evidence to support future policy action.
The group also discussed a proposal to organize a face-to-face National Federations Meeting later this year, aimed at deepening strategic collaboration across EUROMETAL’s membership base.
EUROMETAL thanks all 13 national federations for their participation and continued commitment to advancing a strong and united European steel distribution and processing sector.
EU steelmakers & distributors demand whole value chain support
Europe’s steelmakers and steel distributors and processors have continued their alliance calling for measures to support the continued existence of the European downstream steel-using industries.
In a joint note, Eurofer and Eurometal warn that processors “face substantial challenges to remain competitive and require stronger, more targeted support.” They add: “A steel industry confronted with a shrinking customer base, particularly in downstream sectors, poses broader risks for the entire European industrial ecosystem, as the same accounts for the European steel customer base that requires a viable steel industry in Europe.”
Just a few years ago, in the pre-Ukraine war and pre-Covid era, such close alignment between producers and distributors on policy issues was a rare occurrence. But rapidly shrinking steel production and demand in Europe, coupled with the geopolitically fragmented world of today mean Europe’s steel value chain must come together to fight for its existence, Kallanish notes.
Eurofer and Eurometal met to discuss collaboration after the European Commission’s Steel Dialogue on 4 March, with Eurometal raising concerns regarding the impact of imported steel derivatives on European distribution, processing, and manufacturing.
Both organisations agree that a robust manufacturing base is “essential for strategic autonomy and involves the entire steel supply chain – including both steel production and processing.” The Steel and Metals Action Plan represents a strong starting point, where the European Union recognises industry challenges and importance, but “this requires concrete translation into effective regulatory frameworks”.
Eurometal represents a significant portion of the intermediate steel processing market in Europe – comprising nearly 50% of deliveries in the EU, the statement adds.
The weakening of this supply chain puts at risk 13.6 million direct jobs across steel processing, intermediate suppliers, and manufacturing sectors in the bloc, and threatens a wider European deindustrialisation, it continues.
“The focus of European policymakers needs to be expanded to the complete supply and value chain of our industry,” says Eurometal president Alexander Julius. Eurofer director general Axel Eggert meanwhile says the organisation “appeals on EU policymakers to support our joint efforts”.
At least as far as trade is concerned, the EU has already promised, as part of the Steel & Metals Action Plan, to extend the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to cover downstream products.
Adam Smith Poland
EUROMETAL contributes to high-level European Commission Dialogue on Environmental Assessments and Permitting
At the invitation of Commissioner Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, EUROMETAL took part in a high-level Implementation Dialogue on Environmental Assessments and Permitting.
The event convened key institutional and industry stakeholders to explore how to improve environmental permitting processes across the EU, with a focus on efficiency, predictability, and alignment with Europe’s green and industrial objectives.
Representing EUROMETAL, President Alexander Julius shared insights from Europe’s steel distribution, processing, and manufacturing sectors, emphasising that streamlined environmental assessments and permitting are critical not only for large industrial projects, but also for enabling innovation and investment across the wider manufacturing ecosystem.
The dialogue highlighted key challenges faced by EUROMETAL members, including fragmented procedures, limited administrative coordination, delays in grid connection approvals, and a shortage of qualified environmental professionals. These issues were further illustrated through concrete member experiences submitted ahead of the event.
In response, EUROMETAL presented a set of strategic recommendations to the European Commission, aimed at modernising and harmonising permitting frameworks, promoting digital tools, clarifying end-of-waste criteria, and aligning procedures with the EU Taxonomy for sustainable investment.
In her concluding remarks, Commissioner Roswall outlined the Commission’s priorities for reform, including better access to data, improved administrative capacity, process digitisation, clearer EU-level guidance, and stronger public engagement. She reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to continuously improving permitting procedures in support of environmental protection and industrial competitiveness.
EUROMETAL remains fully committed to working with EU institutions and Member States to ensure that permitting processes become a strategic enabler of Europe’s green and industrial transitions, not a bottleneck.
EUROMETAL & YISAD Conference: Steel service centers need investments to keep up with competition
During the panel moderated by SteelOrbis general manager Murat Eryılmaz at the fourth session of the Eurometal Steel Day & YISAD Flat Steel Conference held at Istanbul Marriott Hotel Asia on Tuesday, April 8, in cooperation with SteelOrbis, the role of steel service centers in the flat steel trade was discussed.
Stating that production in Europe has changed due to the increase in costs resulting from the energy crisis that started with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Alexander Julius, president of EUROMETAL, said that investments in many segments in Europe, especially green transformation, have decreased. He emphasized that the reason that 2024 was a bad year is actually the developments in previous years such as pandemic and war between Ukraine and Russia.
Regarding the role of steel service centers, Alexander Julius stated that steel producers and steel service centers should work in synchrony to create a complete value and supply chain. The EUROMETAL president said that, with this value and supply chain, customers with emission targets would be able to follow the emission values and quality of products.
Next, Uğur Usta, deputy general manager of UMS Metal, stated that 2024 was a year of losses due to falling steel prices, Turkey’s economic outlook, high interest rates and the shrinking demand in Europe. He went on to say that producers could not conclude sales easily and could not achieve profit margins when selling. Regarding the rest of 2025, he noted that the dynamics of the market have changed with Donald Trump’s new taxes and that it is not possible for these taxes to be sustainable. He predicted that, even if demand is not high, prices will no longer fall below a certain level. Stating that the Asia-Pacific region is in first place in terms of overall capacity of steel service center services, followed by the EU, the Americas and the Middle East, Usta said that the revenues of steel service centers reached $350 billion by the end of 2024 and is expected to reach $450 billion within the next 10 years. In addition, he stated that steel service centers in Turkey need to invest in value-added products in order to compete with major producers.
Kaan Sarnıç, sales director at Yücel Group, stated that 2023 was not too bad in terms of budgets and profits, but that he could not say the same for 2024, noting that energy and labor costs increased during the year, while dollar-based product prices fell due to exchange rate fluctuations, and the steel sector suffered losses. Pointing out that steel service centers in Europe make money from processing rather than materials, however this is not the case in Turkey, Mr. Sarnıç stated that the availability of commercial quality products and therefore competition are high, and that steel service centers in Turkey must stock materials of varying qualities to overcome competitive disadvantages.
Evaluating last year, Mehmet Ali Fincan, general manager at Yametaş Flat Metal Products, commented that 2024 was not an easy year as China, which has insufficient local demand, continued to export in every segment, while there was a slowdown in the EU, Turkey experienced economic difficulties, and costs increased. Regarding the advantage of working with a steel service center, Fincan stated that various services can be provided from a single source, and that this saves time and costs for buyers. Regarding the difficulties faced by steel service centers, which provide a competitive advantage thanks to their flexible structure as well as stock and logistics management, Fincan highlighted that fluctuations in raw material prices, increasing costs and price pressure affect competition, and that steel service centers need to stay up-to-date in terms of technology and continue their investments given the competition in the market.
Strategic steps for Steel: EU to outline long-term industry measures
On March 19, the EU plans to present an Action Plan on Steel and Metals, which will include additional sector-specific priority actions. This is stated in the report of the European Commission (EC) on the results of the Strategic Dialogue on Steel.
In addition, the plan will contain long-term steps to replace trade remedies that expire in June 2026. The document will also address a wide range of issues related to the industry, such as ensuring the commercial viability of clean steel production and responding to unfair trade practices.
The plan will include the results of a strategic dialogue with key representatives of the sector, which took place on March 4 under the chairmanship of EC President Ursula von der Leyen.
The strategic dialogue with the EC President brought together steel sector leaders and industry associations.
The European Steel Industry Association (Eurofer) welcomed the initiative. Eurofer CEO Axel Eggert said: “We are grateful that the Commission – at the very highest level – not only recognises these challenges but wants to work with our industry to find the right solutions».
The association continues to push for decisive action in four priority areas – trade defence measures, watertight CBAM, competitive energy prices and scrap retention in Europe.
Alexander Julius, President of EUROMETAL, which represents European steel, pipe and steel product distributors, emphasized during the dialogue that fair competition remains a crucial factor for the steel industry, and it is important for the EU to create a level playing field for the sector. In his opinion, this can be achieved by extending safeguard measures to semi-finished and finished products, which currently enter the bloc without hindrance. In addition, support for distribution, processing and manufacturing in the EU is important to stimulate innovation and create a basis for sustainable industrial activity, given Europe’s position between the US and China.
EUROMETAL also confirmed its willingness to actively participate in the CBAM working group.
As GMK Center reported earlier, on February 26, the European Commission presented the Clean Industry Agreement, a plan to support the competitiveness and future of manufacturing industries in Europe. The document positions decarbonization as a powerful driver for industrial growth. The Commission is also taking steps to make the regulatory environment more efficient, while reducing bureaucratic obstacles to business.
EUROMETAL: Semi-finished and finished products need to be included in protective measures for level playing field
The European Federation of Associations of Steel, Tube and Metal Distributors (EUROMETAL) has made some evaluations during the Strategic Dialogue on Steel hosted on March 4 by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, bringing together key industry leaders to address the future of the European steel industry.
EUROMETAL stated that fair competition is vital for the steel industry. Yet, given that 7.4 million people are employed in the industry, it is also significant to create a level playing field, which can be ensured by including import semi-finished and finished products that are flowing to the EU without any limitations in protective measures. Since Europe is located between the US and China, boosting its distribution, processing and manufacturing is even more crucial to promote innovation and to provide a basis for sustainable industrial activities, EUROMETAL said.
Additionally, the federation also reiterated its intention to actively participate in the working group of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, ensuring that regulations are realistic for EU declarants.
EUROMETAL joins European Commission’s Strategic Dialogue on Steel
The European steel sector took center stage as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Steel Sector. The high-level meeting gathered key industry leaders, social partners, and stakeholders, including EUROMETAL President Alexander Julius, to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the European steel supply chain.
A critical moment for European Steel
President von der Leyen opened the dialogue by emphasizing the historic and strategic importance of steel to the European Union, stating:
“Our European Union was built on a community of coal and steel. Steel is everywhere, from wind power to defence. But European steelmakers are at a crossroads, facing the challenges of necessary decarbonisation and partly unfair global competition. Today’s Dialogue is to lead to a tailored plan to help this sector decarbonise and thrive globally. We join forces to make a strong business case for steel made in Europe.”
The dialogue acknowledged that while steel production remains a cornerstone of European industry, the sector is under significant pressure due to high energy costs, global overcapacity, and declining product prices. These challenges have impacted investment in clean steel technologies, which are essential for the sector’s decarbonisation efforts.
Key outcomes of the Steel Dialogue
This first session laid the groundwork for future policy actions, reinforcing the importance of collaboration between industry and policymakers. Discussions were closely aligned with the Clean Industrial Deal, adopted in February, which aims to: lower energy costs for energy-intensive industries, create lead markets for low-carbon steel and accelerate investments through financial support exceeding €100 billion for clean manufacturing in the EU.
The dialogue will contribute to the development of a Steel and Metals Action Plan, which will outline sector-specific priority actions and long-term measures to replace current trade defence safeguard measures expiring in June 2026. The plan will focus on ensuring clean steel production is commercially viable, developing a strong response to unfair trading practices and identifying sustainable long-term solutions to safeguard the European steel market.
EUROMETAL’s Role and Key Priorities
As the representative body for European steel distributors, traders, and service centers, EUROMETAL played a pivotal role in ensuring that the concerns of steel distribution and processing were heard. EUROMETAL President Alexander M. Julius participated in the discussions, advocating for:
- A level playing field for steel users and manufacturers.
- Inclusion of finished and semi-finished products under protective trade measures.
- Stronger support for EU steel distribution, processing, and manufacturing to drive innovation and ensure sustainable industrial activities.
- A more inclusive approach in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to facilitate compliance and secure fair competition.
The road to the Steel and Metals Action Plan
Following this Strategic Dialogue, Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné has been tasked with presenting the Action Plan on Steel and Metals on 19 March 2025. This plan will define the next steps for policymakers and industry stakeholders, with regular involvement from the European Parliament and the Council.
EUROMETAL remains committed to actively engaging in this process to ensure that the voice of steel distributors, traders, and service centers is represented in shaping the future of European steel.
The Strategic Dialogue gathered top industry stakeholders, including: EUROMETAL, EUROFER, ESPA, EURIC, Euromines, FIEC, Agora Industry, WindEurope, ACEA, ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel Europe, ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, Salzgitter, Riva-Stahl, Outokumpu, Celsa Group, Feralpi, Stegra, Zeliziarne Podbrezova, IndustriAll and GravitHy.
EUROMETAL President’s reactions after Steel Dialogue
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hosted today the Strategic Dialogue on Steel, bringing together key industry leaders to address the future of Europe’s steel sector. EUROMETAL President Alexander M. Julius participated in the discussions, ensuring the voice of steel distributors and service centers was heard on critical industry challenges.
EUROMETAL emphasized that fair competition remains crucial for the steelmaking sector. However, considering the 7.4 million people employed in the manufacturing of steel and metal-based products in the EU, it is equally important to create a level playing field for this sector. This can be achieved by extending protective measures to semi-finished and finished products, which currently enter the EU without any barriers. Given Europe’s position between the USA and China, supporting EU distribution, processing, and manufacturing is even more essential to foster innovation and establish a foundation for sustainable industrial activities.
In a subsequent discussion with European Commissioners, EUROMETAL also reiterated its desire to actively participate in a CBAM working group. This initiative would help the European Commission ensure that regulations are feasible for EU declarants, thereby maintaining a reliable service for the EU steel-using industry.
European Commission schedules Steel Dialogue, reinforces strategic role
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will host a Strategic Dialogue on Steel on 4 March, Kallanish notes.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Commission reinforced that steel is a strategic sector, saying it plays a central role in the EU’s broader strategic autonomy.
The meeting is anticipated to bring together steel manufacturers, raw material suppliers, off-takers, and representatives of social partners and civil society. EUROMETAL will be represented by its president, Alexander Julius, the association says.
This comes ahead of the dedicated Steel and Metals Action, which Executive Vice-President Séjourné has been tasked with delivering in the spring. Feedback from the Steel Dialogue and related wider consultation will be fed into this dedicated plan.
“The steel industry is a key sector of our European single market. At the same time this industry is of utmost importance in our fight against climate change,” von der Leyen notes. “The Strategic Dialogue will help develop a concrete Action Plan to tackle the unique challenges of this sector in the clean industrial transition. We want to ensure that the European steel industry is both competitive and sustainable in the long-term.”
“Europe has a plan for its industry: we must produce more, we must produce clean, and we must produce European,” says Séjourné. “This starts with our most strategic sectors: steel is one of them. We must protect our steel sector from unfair foreign competition and boost our own production of clean European steel.”
Key Strategic Dialogue discussion points will include how to enhance competitiveness and circularity, drive the clean transition, decarbonisation, and electrification, ensure fair trade relations and an international level playing field. The Commission will inform and consult with the Council and European Parliament throughout the Dialogue process.
Proposals include the joint purchasing of raw materials on behalf of interested companies, which could ensure diversification of supplies, and a Circular Economy Act to incentivise the use of secondary scrap material in manufacturing. Also discussed will be the use of guarantees and risk reduction instruments to facilitate conclusion of long-term power purchase agreements, and to accelerate the uptake of hydrogen.
To speed up investment, the meeting will also discuss the creation of a dedicated financing mechanism for industrial decarbonisation based on the auctions-as-a-service model.
On the foreign trade front, global overcapacity is expected to reach 630 million tonnes in 2026. This means “it is essential to make more efficient use of anti-dumping or anti-subsidy duties to prevent that our market becomes an export destination for state-induced excess steel production,” the Commission says.
In addition, the safeguard measures for steel currently in place are set to expire by June 2026. The Commission will define a long-term solution to replace those measures in light of global non-market overcapacity, it concludes.
Adam Smith Poland
EUROMETAL gives EC input on ongoing steel safeguard measure review
European steel distribution and trading association EUROMETAL President Alexander Julius has written to the European Commission Jan. 10 asking for a couple of changes and some clarification on the ongoing functional review of the EU safeguard measures on steel imports initiated in December.
On Dec. 17, the EC announced a review of the safeguard measures applicable to imports of certain steel products with the aim of reassessing the allocation and management of tariff rate quotas to ensure they align with current market dynamics and stakeholder interests.
In the letter addressed to European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Stephane Sejourne, Executive Vice-President of the EC for the European Green Deal Maros Sefcovic and European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis, Julius requested that the EC extend the deadline for questionnaire submissions from Jan. 10.
He said the Jan. 10 deadline was too restrictive due to the recent holiday season and requested the EC extend the deadline to allow sufficient time for all interested parties to participate fully in the review process.
“Many of our members and stakeholders face significant challenges in gathering the necessary data and preparing their submissions within the given time frame,” he wrote.
Julius also asked for harmonization of customs rules across member states, saying that divergences in customs rules across member states often resulted in inconsistent and incorrect declarations, creating unnecessary administrative burdens and an unequal treatment of European importers.
“We propose that the review addresses the need for harmonized customs procedures across the EU to ensure fair and consistent application of the measures, in order to assess in this respect a level playing field,” he wrote.
EUROMETAL also requested clarification on the definition of EU users within the context of the safeguard measures review, asking whether it included the distribution segment, such as service centres, stockholders, and traders.
Julius said the sector played a pivotal role in supplying 60% of all steel products to end-users and a clear and consistent definition was “crucial to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are appropriately recognized and accounted for in the review process.”
He told the commissioners that EUROMETAL also supported Eurofer’s proposal for the EC to organize a Steel Summit, as it would provide an invaluable platform for stakeholders to engage in discussions about the current challenges facing the steel sector.
Julius said the challenges include “those related to the safeguard measures, and to collaboratively identify solutions that serve the interests of the entire steel value chain.”
We are more than happy to actively participate in this initiative, as we firmly believe that interaction with all our stakeholders is crucial to developing sustainable European manufacturing and steel industry supply chains,” he wrote, saying EUROMETAL remained committed to contributing to essential dialogues.
He said these considerations were vital for ensuring that the revised safeguard measures remain well-aligned with market realities and the interests of all stakeholders in the EU steel sector.
“EUROMETAL stands ready to contribute to the ongoing discussions and provide further evidence or insights,” Julius wrote.
As of Jan. 10, Vietnam, Japan and Taiwan have exhausted the EU’s tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system for hot-rolled coil imports, as per official EC data.
In contrast, 38% of Egypt’s quota is still available. Meanwhile, countries like Australia, Switzerland, the US, Canada, and Libya have not yet utilized their first-quarter quotas, maintaining 100% availability.
Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed domestic HRC prices in Northern Europe at Eur560/mt ex-works Ruhr Jan. 9, down 19% since the start of 2024.
