European Commission seeks contractor to build CBAM certificate platform
The European Commission has launched a tender to establish the Common Central Platform, which will manage the sale and repurchase of certificates under the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, with the system expected to become operational by February 2027.
The tender, issued by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union late Feb. 16, will remain open until March 20, 2026.
“By Aug. 31, 2026, the contractor must have developed a pre-operational version of the CCP, incorporating all core functionalities necessary to support sales, repurchase and reconciliation operations, and ready for testing,” the Commission said in the tender.
This marks a key step in implementing the EU’s CBAM, which requires importers of carbon-intensive goods to purchase certificates corresponding to the emissions embedded in products entering the bloc. The mechanism aims to prevent carbon leakage by ensuring imported goods face similar carbon costs to those produced within the EU, potentially affecting trade flows of iron and steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, electricity and hydrogen.
EU’s CBAM started its definitive phase on Jan. 1, 2026, but importers will only be able to purchase CBAM certificates starting in February 2027 to cover the emissions embedded in their imports for 2026, giving businesses more time to adapt to this carbon pricing mechanism.
The Common Central Platform will serve as the centralized system for managing CBAM certificate transactions, handling both primary sales to importers and potential repurchases, according to the Commission.
The aim of CBAM is to level the playing field for EU companies, as most exporting countries either do not have a carbon price as high as that of the EU Emissions Trading System or do not have a price on emissions altogether.
Carbon permits in Europe are currently around seven times more expensive than compliance prices in China, the world’s industrial powerhouse.
Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed EU Allowances for December 2026 at Eur70.21/mtCO2e ($83.09/mtCO2e) Feb. 17. This compares with China’s compliance emission allowance, or CEA, which was valued at Yuan 76.14/mtCO2e ($10.94/mtCO2e) Feb. 6, according to the Shanghai Environment and Energy Exchange.
European Commission Vice-President Séjourné: “Made in Europe” priority should be strengthened in public procurement
European Commission Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné stated that the “Made in Europe” approach, which envisages giving priority to European companies in public procurement across EU member states, should be strengthened.
European Commission Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné, who is responsible for the EU’s industrial policy, published an opinion piece supporting the “Made in Europe” initiative, signed by more than 1,000 executives from EU-based companies. The article was published simultaneously in France’s Les Echos, Germany’s Handelsblatt, Spain’s El Mundo, and Italy’s Corriere della Sera.
In his column, Séjourné stressed that European countries should prioritize European companies in public procurement in order to protect their industries. “In our most strategic sectors, we must make a genuine European preference permanent. Without an ambitious, effective, and pragmatic industrial policy, the European economy will become nothing more than a playground for its competitors,” he said.
Pointing to the growing prevalence of tariffs, subsidies, export restrictions, and intellectual property violations in global trade, Séjourné warned that international competition is becoming increasingly unfair and argued that the EU must adopt a more proactive stance.
Recalling that major economies—particularly the United States and China—have similar programs supporting their strategic sectors, Séjourné noted that it is inevitable for the EU to adopt a comparable approach.
Emphasizing that the core principle of the “Made in Europe” strategy is clear, Séjourné stated: “Wherever public money is spent in Europe, it must contribute to European production and employment.”
The European Commission is expected to unveil its proposed “Industrial Accelerator Act” by the end of February, aimed at supporting European industry. The proposal is expected to include provisions introducing a “Made in Europe” requirement in public procurement.
While France is leading the initiative, several EU member states argue that local-content requirements could deter investment, increase costs in public tenders, and weaken the bloc’s global competitiveness.
Meanwhile, Türkiye maintains that factors such as the Customs Union, the existing level of economic integration, and regulatory alignment should be taken into account, and that Türkiye should be considered within the scope of the “Made in Europe” concept.
Source: AA
EU to replace country-specific quotas with permanent safeguard regime
The European Commission has unveiled a legislative proposal to replace the existing EU steel safeguard system, introducing a new framework designed to protect the EU’s steel industry from the negative effects of global overcapacity, which is expected to increase from the current 602 million mt to 721 million mt by 2027, according to a draft seen by SteelOrbis.
The new permanent framework, which will replace the current measures which will expire on June 30, 2026, will come into effect as of mid-2026.
Under the new regulation, the EU will maintain free-of-duty tariff quotas equivalent to pre-overcapacity market conditions – calculated based on the 2013 import share of around 13 percent of EU consumption, resulting in an annual total quota volume of 18.3 million mt. The EU’s import volume will decrease as a result of the decline in the quota volume, SteelOrbis understands. The quotas will be administered on a quarterly basis, without carry-over between quarters, to avoid market flooding. The quotas will also be allocated per product category based on the share of imports that each product category held over the 2022-24 period. If deemed necessary, the European Commission may implement country-specific quotas or restrictions. Once these quotas are exhausted, a 50 percent tariff will apply, up from the current 25 percent, in line with global tariff levels with an aim to minimize the risk of trade diversion.
The measures will require importers to declare the country of “melt and pour” origin, verifying where the steel was originally produced in liquid form to prevent circumvention.
The Commission will make an assessment at the latest within two years following the adoption of this regulation to evaluate the necessity to adjust the scope of products and, if deemed necessary, it will consider making a legislative proposal to add additional steel products, including products that are made of or contain a significant amount of steel. In addition, the Commission shall evaluate the effectiveness of this regulation before July 1, 2031, and every five years thereafter.
EU to propose steel safeguard replacement in September
The European Commission plans to unveil proposals for alternative steel safeguard measures in September this year, to replace the current measures which are due to expire on 30 June 2026, the Commission said in updates to its Clean Industrial Deal on 2 July.
The EU has already tightened the existing steel safeguard measures from April this year to protect the industry from a flood of imports diverted to the EU.
The steel industry requires protection from imports diverted to the EU from their usual outlet markets following the rise of Section 232 tariffs in the US and generally stricter trade policies in the country. In early June, the US authorities doubled tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to 50%.
Decarbonisation requires higher circularity, but scrap recycling in the EU has been on the decline due to a rise in export sales caused by higher prices outside the EU.
European mills have made plans to replace existing blast furnaces with less carbon intensive electric-arc furnaces (EAFs) as part of their decarbonisation route. EAFs use either ferrous scrap or direct-reduced iron as feedstock.
To learn more about the decarbonisation plans of EU steelmakers see McCloskey’s European Green Steel Profile.
The Commission has made data on scrap trade from the Customs Surveillance database publicly accessible as a part of a broader monitoring mechanism for imports and exports of non-ferrous goods and steel. This will help the adoption of new trade measures needed to ensure the sufficient availability of scrap in the EU.
European steel association Eurofer and European Aluminium association urged the Commission at the end of last year to take actions to tackle scrap leakage. The statement was met with criticism from the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR).
Steel exports under CBAM
EU industries remain exposed to unfair international competition, particularly as free allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) will phase out from 2026 to 2034. Implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will help prevent carbon leakage for imports, but exports from the EU would suffer as manufacturers in non-EU countries do not face similar carbon costs.
To tackle the risks related to exports, the Commission has proposed using the revenues generated by CBAM – which will be extended – to support production at risk of carbon leakage.
“This would allow the affected producers to be compensated proportionally to the phasing out of the free allowances subject to deliverables on long-term decarbonisation. The scope will need to be established based on objective criteria,” the Commission said.
The proposal will be put forward at the end of 2025 and will be subject to review in 2027.
At the same time the scope of CBAM was proposed to be expanded to downstream goods and introduction of anti-circumvention measures.
EU reintroduces country-specific sections safeguard quotas
The European Commission has removed, effective 1 July, the 15% cap on the category 17 angles, shapes and sections EU safeguard quota. It will also re-introduce country-specific quotas for the UK, Türkiye and Korea, and reinstate the residual quota without a cap, Kallanish notes.
The 15% cap was introduced recently because of undue crowding out of certain traditional suppliers. However, that country-cap is affecting the traditional trade flows of certain trading partners, restricting their access to duty-free volumes to levels below their historical trade levels, the Commission notes.
As part of the upcoming change, the country-specific quota holders will not have access to the residual quota during the last quarter of a safeguard year.
The measure applies to HS codes 7216 31 10, 7216 31 90, 7216 32 11, 7216 32 19, 7216 32 91, 7216 32 99, 7216 33 10 and 7216 33 90. Ukraine will have a quarterly quota exceeding 31,600t, the UK 27,500t, Türkiye 22,800t and Korea 5,000t, with the residual quota at 12,555t.
The duration of the measure remains until 30 June 2026 and the rate of liberalisation remains 0.1% yearly.
Consultations on the change will take place, either in person in Brussels or in a virtual setting, from 12 June until 19 June.
Adam Smith Poland
EUROFER: New EU trade measures needed in face of US tariffs
The European Steel Association (EUROFER) has stated that, with US tariffs now raised to 50 percent, the only way to avoid the further erosion of the European steel market is the swift implementation of the “highly effective trade measure” promised by the European Commission.
Expecting a massive deflection of the 27 million mt of steel previously destined for the US towards the European market due to the doubling of US tariffs on steel, EUROFER noted that, with global overcapacity at record highs and import penetration in the EU up to 30 percent, the EU is being flooded by cheap foreign steel.
Reporting that most of the 3.8 million mt of EU steel exports to the US are now under a de facto import ban, the association stated that, with the 50 percent tariff, even Europe’s highest-quality, most competitive steel products will be priced out.
“We need the Commission’s promised ‘highly effective trade measure’ as a lifeline, and we need it now. If we wait until 2026, when the current EU steel safeguard expires, much of our industry will already be submerged beyond recovery. … A negotiated EU-US solution is paramount to preserve our exports at this critical moment for the European sector. The US and the EU should reopen negotiations, stalled in 2024, to address global overcapacity jointly,” Axel Eggert, director general of EUROFER, said.
EUROMETAL re-invited by Mrs Von der Leyen to high-level EU Consultation on U.S. Tariffs Impact on Steel
EUROMETAL has received an official invitation from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to participate in a high-level virtual meeting on Monday, 7 April 2025, to discuss the impact of U.S. tariffs on the EU steel and aluminium sectors.
The invitation follows the recent announcement by the U.S. administration to impose tariffs on steel, aluminium, and derivative products, including those originating from the European Union. This development is expected to have significant consequences for global trade and directly affect Europe’s metals industry and supply chains.
In response, the European Commission has launched a revised Steel and Metals Action Plan, effective from 1 April 2025, aimed at reinforcing the EU’s trade defense mechanisms. A new trade measure to replace existing steel safeguards is also under preparation for implementation from 1 July 2026.
The upcoming virtual meeting will serve as a strategic dialogue with key industry stakeholders, aiming to: gather insights on the real and anticipated impact of U.S. tariffs on EU steel and aluminium, explore sector proposals for an effective EU response, and help shape the next phase of EU trade defense policies.
EUROMETAL welcomes this initiative and will actively contribute to the discussion, continuing its mission to represent the interests of the European steel distribution, processing, and trading sectors.
We look forward to engaging with EU decision-makers and other industry leaders to ensure that Europe’s steel value chain remains strong, competitive, and protected.
Italy, France, Slovakia seek to further simplify CBAM
Italy, France and Slovakia are urging the European Commission to simplify the Carbon Border Adjustment Measure (CBAM) and resolve the administrative challenges that come with its implementation.
The complex structure of this system could cause delays and increases in management and operational costs for European businesses.
“A simplification of the regulatory framework is needed to provide operators with clearly defined and simplified technical rules. Basing the CBAM on pre-defined emission values for upstream and downstream sectors could significantly simplify reporting requirements,” says the AoB document requested by France, Italy and Slovakia and obtained by Kallanish.
The paper suggests an exemption for small importers and a thorough review of downstream carbon leakage as well as carbon leakage in exports. The CBAM regulation now applies to the six pilot sectors and 20 neighbouring downstream products. However more sectors and downstream products may be at risk of carbon leakage due to the phase-out of free EU ETS allowances.
CBAM should cover downstream sectors and goods at risk of carbon leakage by the end of the transition period. At present, it does not include any measures to avoid carbon leakage from exports.
The EC is to consider the extension of CBAM to indirect emissions under the condition that it does not compromise decarbonisation efforts and to consider the impact of the mechanism on the competitiveness of the EU industry.
“The Commission is required to submit a report by 2028 on the impact of the CBAM, notably on carbon leakage to exports, resource shuffling, and an evaluation of the overall application of the regulation. Such a report should be anticipated to the end of the transition period. It should propose, if necessary, appropriate and proportionate measures to prevent carbon leakages in support of exporting industries, by maintaining, among other measures, targeted free ETS allowances for exportations to ensure a level playing field,” the paper concludes.
Earlier this month the Commission published its Steel and Metals Action Plan confirming it would issue a legislative proposal for CBAM adjustments by year-end.
Natalia Capra France
EU to delay first set of countermeasures against US tariffs until mid-April
The measures, announced on March 12, cover a wide range of agricultural and industrial goods including potentially some wood products, pulp, paper and board.
The first set involves allowing the suspension of existing countermeasures against the US from 2018 and 2020 to lapse. They include a 25% tariff on US corn imports into the EU.
This was initially set to happen on April 1 after the current suspension ends but will now likely be postponed to mid-April to coincide with a second package of measures on which the Commission is currently consulting, Šefčovič said.
“In the light of the recent announcement that the US is planning to introduce additional tariffs on April 2, we are now considering to align the timing of the two sets of EU countermeasures, so we can consult with member states on both lists simultaneously,” Šefčovič told a joint hearing of the Committee on International Trade on Thursday.
“It also gives us extra time for negotiations to try to find a mutually agreeable resolution. As a result, all the EU’s countermeasures that were announced on March 12 would in that case take effect in mid-April,” he said.
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Steel imports to EU, US fall in 2025; all eyes on April 2
The move to delay tariffs was announced after the US imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminium imports earlier this month.
In the first two months of 2025, imports and exports of steel products between the US and EU logged declines.
In January, the US exported 5,237 tonnes of steel to the EU, down by 7.20% from 5,682 tonnes of steel exported in December, data from the US International Trade Administration (ITA) showed.
In February, the EU applied to export 238,854 tonnes of steel to the US, down by 41.8% from the 410,742 tonnes of steel imported in January, according to the ITA data.
Market participants globally are also now closely tracking April 2 — what US President Donald Trump has called “Liberation Day” — when a slew of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on goods coming to the US take effect.
The US President has also said new, higher tariffs on goods such as lumber, autos and copper will be announced then.
It remains unclear whether the tariffs will stack Trump’s Section 232 tariffs and specifically what goods will be subject to the broader tariffs, market participants previously told Fastmarkets.
Trump’s tariff policies are expected to slow economic growth in the US and globally, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported on Monday March 17.
The risk of broader increases in trade barriers could weaken global growth more than previously expected, with inflation now remaining above target for longer in many economies, the report said.
European Commission unveiled the Steel and Metals Action Plan
Today, the European Commission unveiled its Steel and Metals Action Plan, aimed at securing the competitiveness, resilience, and decarbonization of Europe’s steel and metals industries. This initiative addresses global trade pressures, high energy costs, and the need for sustainability investments, reinforcing the sector’s strategic importance to automotive, clean tech, and defense industries.
The plan focuses on ensuring affordable energy access by supporting tax flexibility and promoting the increased use of renewable hydrogen to reduce production costs. To prevent carbon leakage, the Commission will strengthen CBAM with anti-circumvention measures and extend its scope to downstream steel and aluminum products.
In response to global overcapacity and unfair trade practices, the Commission will introduce new long-term steel safeguards and assess the implementation of a “melted and poured rule” to reinforce fair competition. Recycling targets for steel and aluminum will also be increased, with potential trade measures on metal scrap to ensure sustainable supply.
To support industrial decarbonization, the Commission has announced a €100 billion Industrial Decarbonisation Bank, with a €1 billion pilot auction in 2025 aimed at electrification and low-carbon steel production. Additionally, the plan emphasizes the protection of 2.6 million jobs in the steel and metals industry through labor policies that support fair transitions and skills development.
“The steel industry has always been a core engine for European prosperity. With today’s Action Plan, we are offering concrete solutions for a thriving European steel industry”, stated Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
Earlier this morning, Alexander Julius, President of EUROMETAL, was featured on BBC News to discuss the EU Steel Action Plan. He highlighted the crucial role of steel distribution and trade, the challenges posed by new trade policies, and the importance of balancing competitiveness with sustainability in the sector.
Commission’s Action Plan to secure a competitive and decarbonised steel and metals industry in Europe