EUROMETAL urges practical rules of origin to align with climate goals and steel industry needs
EUROMETAL, the voice of Europe’s steel distribution and service sector, has participated in the European Commission’s Implementation Dialogue on Rules of Origin (RoO), hosted in Brussels by the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) and chaired by Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, who is responsible for EU trade and economic security.
The dialogue gathered key stakeholders to modernize and simplify the EU’s RoO framework, which is becoming central to trade defense, climate policy (including CBAM), and market access strategies.
EUROMETAL’s core demands
During the event, EUROMETAL president Alexander Julius emphasized the importance of practical, harmonized, and sector-specific RoO rules that reflect industrial realities. According to his recommendations, RoO should align with new climate and circular economy goals, including CBAM and the definition of “green” steel, practical rules should be developed for recycled content, “melted and poured” criteria, and value-added processing, digitization tools should be interoperable and SME-accessible, and origin-based restrictions for steel derivatives should be introduced to close trade defense loopholes.
The European Commission’s RoO reform agenda
Commissioner Šefčovič highlighted upcoming reforms, noting that RoO must be simplified, digitized, and tailored to specific industries. He stated that inconsistent enforcement across member states undermines the system’s effectiveness, emphasizing that harmonizing RoO application is essential to restoring fairness and reducing internal market barriers. Tools such as a European Data Hub, digital product passports, and AI-driven compliance platforms are being developed, with a focus on SME accessibility. According to Šefčovič, RoO will play a larger role in the establishment of CBAM, safeguards, and anti-circumvention measures, and a new EU steel safeguard framework is under development, with updates expected by late summer 2025. The EU will work closely with the US, particularly regarding global overcapacity, he added.
Next steps for the steel industry
The Commission has invited participants to submit sector-specific recommendations to shape the final reform package. EUROMETAL has pledged to maintain close engagement with its members, European policymakers, and trade and customs authorities to ensure that steel distribution and service sector priorities are fully reflected – especially on derivatives and circular economy compatibility.
EUROMETAL calls for practical reform and steel derivatives restrictions at EU Implementation Dialogue on Rules of Origin
EUROMETAL, together with major European steel producers and industry associations, participated in the European Commission’s Implementation Dialogue on EU Rules of Origin: A Business Perspective, hosted by DG TAXUD and chaired by Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, responsible for Trade and Economic Security.
The dialogue brought together policymakers and industry stakeholders for a constructive exchange on how to modernise and simplify the EU’s rules of origin (RoO) — a key component of customs law that increasingly impacts trade defence, sustainability policies, and access to global markets.
A strong steel industry presence
EUROMETAL President, Alexander Julius, joined a broad coalition of stakeholders from across the steel value chain — including major producers, processors, and trade associations — to deliver a unified message: rules of origin must become more practical, consistent, and fit for purpose in a changing global trade environment.
The discussion focused on aligning RoO with business realities, eliminating national inconsistencies, and ensuring rules support the EU’s climate and industrial policy goals.
Key Messages from Commissioner Šefčovič
Commissioner Šefčovič acknowledged the critical role of rules of origin and committed to a comprehensive reform process.
His main takeaways included:
- Simplification and sector-specificity: RoO should be easier to apply and adapted to the specific characteristics of each sector. A sector-by-sector approach was welcomed by all participants.
- Harmonisation across the EU: Inconsistent implementation by Member States creates major challenges. Harmonising RoO application is essential to restoring fairness and reducing internal market barriers.
- Digitalisation as a cornerstone: The upcoming Customs Reform will introduce a European Data Hub, digital product passports, and AI-driven compliance tools — with particular attention to SME accessibility.
- Strategic role of RoO in trade defence: Šefčovič confirmed that rules of origin are increasingly linked to CBAM, safeguard measures, and anti-circumvention efforts — especially in critical sectors like steel and aluminium.
- Post-2026 steel strategy: A new framework for EU steel safeguard measures is under development, with updates expected in late summer 2025. The EU will also seek closer coordination with the US on tackling global overcapacities.
EUROMETAL’s contributions
During the dialogue, EUROMETAL highlighted the complexity faced by steel distributors and service centers in complying with origin requirements, particularly when products are transformed or sourced across multiple jurisdictions.
Key recommendations included:
- Align RoO with new climate and circular economy goals, including CBAM and the definition of “green” steel.
- Develop practical rules for recycled content, “melted and poured” criteria, and value-added processing.
- Ensure digitisation efforts are interoperable and accessible to SMEs, which represent the backbone of the steel distribution sector.
- Introduce specific origin-based restrictions on steel derivatives, to prevent circumvention of EU safeguard and trade defence measures. EUROMETAL stressed that derivatives must not become a loophole undermining the effectiveness of existing protections.
EUROMETAL also stressed the need for predictable, harmonised rules that can be easily implemented across all 27 Member States — avoiding costly delays and inconsistent customs decisions.
Next steps and continued engagement
The European Commission called on all participants to submit written, sector-specific input. Feedback will inform the design of future RoO reforms and help guide customs digitalisation and trade negotiations.
Šefčovič closed the session by reaffirming the Commission’s openness to continued dialogue: “We want to get this right — and that means listening to you. Give us practical, detailed input so we can build solutions that work on the ground.”
EUROMETAL will continue to coordinate closely with its members and the broader steel community to ensure that the voice of the distribution and service sector — including concerns on steel derivatives — is fully reflected in the EU’s evolving trade and customs framework.
EUROMETAL invited to EU Implementation Dialogue on Customs
EUROMETAL has been invited to participate in the first Implementation Dialogue on Customs, organised by the European Commission and chaired by Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
This high-level dialogue on Friday, 11 July 2025 will focus on the EU Rules of Origin from a business perspective, aiming to collect concrete feedback from industry on how the rules are applied and how they can be improved.
The dialogue will be structured in two sessions: discussing the current challenges with regards to the use of Rules of Origin. and developing concrete ways forward to improve Rules of Origin.
EUROMETAL members have been invited to contribute to the EU Implementation Dialogue on Rules of Origin sharing comments, challenges, or suggestions — particularly regarding how these rules affect their daily operations, compliance efforts, trade flows, or overall competitiveness.
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.
EU expects €28 billion loss in exports due to US steel and aluminum tariffs
According to a report by Bloomberg, the first round of the US president Donald Trump’s new steel and aluminum tariffs is expected to cost the European Union member states up to €28 billion in lost exports.
Maroš Šefčovič, European Trade Commissioner, noted that the current situation is constantly evolving, so the extent of any tariffs could still change.
European market players anticipate that the number of products affected will be four times higher than in 2018, as the list of the products subject to the tariffs also includes derivative steel items.
On February 10, Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from trading partners with duty-free exemptions or tariff-rate quota deals, such as the EU, as SteelOrbis previously reported.
In 2024, the EU’s steel exports to the US amounted 3.89 million mt, with the value of the exports at $6.99 billion, according to census data from the US Department of Commerce.