Eurofer proposes reduced safeguard volumes, higher duty
Amid the ongoing review of EU steel import safeguard measures, the European Steel Association (Eurofer) has provided recommendations to the European Commission on making the measures more restrictive, according to Yuriy Rudyuk, partner at Van Bael & Bellis.
Eurofer is proposing reducing tariff-rate quota volumes to reflect declining EU steel demand, raising the safeguard duty to 32-41%, and capping quotas for other product categories at 15%, as was done from July for HRC and wire rod, Rudyuk indicates in a LinkedIn post.
The association has also suggested removing the carry-over option, and replacing residual quotas with country-specific ones. It also advocates halting new exemptions for developing countries in the final year of the measures.
The proposals are expected to face opposition from importers, and industrial users, with the Commission needing to balance Eurofer’s requests against legal constraints under EU and WTO laws, Rudyuk opines.
“We cannot confirm the below as of today we have not yet sent any contribution to the Commission,” Eurofer says in response to a Kallanish request for comment.
The European Commission set the deadline for EU steel users and producers to submit questionnaires as 10 January 2025. The Commission will conclude its review by 31 March 2025, with any decisions potentially applying from 1 April 2025, including a new TRQ volume.
Elina Virchenko UAE
EUROMETAL submission to the European Commission: Key Updates
On 10 January 2025, EUROMETAL officially submitted its response to the European Commission as part of the ongoing functional review of the EU Safeguard Measures on Steel Imports.
This submission reflects EUROMETAL’s commitment to representing the interests of members and stakeholders in shaping policies that impact the European steel industry.
In response, the European Commission has provided important updates and clarifications on the review process:
Deadline Extension Granted
EUROMETAL raised concerns about the tight deadline for submitting questionnaires, originally set for 10 January 2025, considering the holiday season and its impact on data collection efforts. The European Commission granted a three-day extension, moving the submission deadline to 13 January 2025. This extension, while limited, provides stakeholders additional time to prepare and submit their responses. EUROMETAL encourages all members and steel users to utilize this opportunity to ensure their voices are heard.
Clarification on “Union Users”
In response to EUROMETAL’s request for clarification, the European Commission provided the following definitions:
Union Users: these are companies that use the steel products subject to the safeguard measures in their downstream production processes.
Traders, Service Centres, and Stockholders fall under the category “Interested Parties” due to their objective link with the products under investigation.
The Commission has invited all interested parties, including traders, service centers, and stockholders, to register on TRON.tdi and submit their views in the form of written submissions as outlined in Section 4.3 of the Notice of Initiation.
EUROMETAL continues to advocate for its members and the broader Steel Distribution industry. In our submission, we highlighted several key priorities:
- Extension of the Questionnaire Submission Deadline.
- Harmonization of Customs Rules Across Member States.
- Clarification on the Definition of Union Users and Interested Parties.
- Support for the Proposal to Organize a Steel Summit.
These priorities underline the critical role of steel distribution in safeguarding European manufacturing and ensuring sustainable steel supply chains.
Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan quickly exhaust EU HRC quota
Vietnam, Japan, and Taiwan face immediate EU tariff-rate quota (TRQ) pressure as hot rolled coil orders from those origins are already oversubscribed for the first quarter by 9%, 56%, and 13%, respectively, as of 6 January.
This is against new EU allocations of 138,766 tonnes each for Q1, Kallanish notes from the EU customs portal.
Vietnam has allocated 150,920t out of a TRQ of 138,766t, exceeding its quota by 12,154t (9%).
Japan is showing significant oversubscription, overshooting the quota by 56%, with 216,131t awaiting allocation – exceeding its 138,766t TRQ by 77,365t.
Taiwan has allocated 157,444t, exceeding its 138,766t TRQ by 18,678t (13%).
Egypt, with a TRQ of 138,766t in the “other countries” category, has 86,617t of HRC submitted for allocation, leaving 52,149t or 38% of its quota remaining.
Meanwhile, Australia, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, and Libya retain 100% of their allocated quotas for Q1.
As a result, the “other countries” category shows rapid usage, with 611,112t, or 49% of the allocated Q1 quota awaiting allocation.
Countries with larger quotas exhibit minimal utilisation rates, with availability ranging between 87-99%. Collectively, 46,236t have been submitted for clearance, with South Korea accounting for the largest volume at 24,776t.
Overall, a total of 657,348t are pending allocation.
“A clear picture will be only shown by 10 January. It seems not all EU customs offices are working at the same speed for import clearing,” one trader notes.
| Origin | Quota 01.01 – 31.03.2025 | Awaiting allocation | Available TRQ | Avaliable TRQ % |
| Russia | – | – | – | – |
| Türkiye | 464,844 | 9,383 | 455,461 | 98 |
| India | 295,145 | 6,029 | 289,115 | 98 |
| South Korea | 184,310 | 24,776 | 159,534 | 87 |
| United Kingdom | 154,182 | 1,866 | 152,316 | 99 |
| Serbia | 163,621 | 4,183 | 159,438 | 97 |
| Other countries, inc | ||||
| Egypt | 138,766 | 86,617 | 52,149 | 38 |
| Vietnam | 138,766 | 150,920 | -2,154 | -9 |
| Japan | 138,766 | 216,131 | -77,365 | -56 |
| Taiwan | 138,766 | 157,444 | -18,678 | -13 |
| Australia | 138,766 | – | 138,766 | 100 |
| Switzerland | 138,766 | – | 138,766 | 100 |
| United States | 138,766 | – | 138,766 | 100 |
| Libya | 138,766 | – | 138,766 | 100 |
| Canada | 138,766 | – | 138,766 | 100 |
| Total other countries | 1,248,894 | 611,112 | 637,782 | 51 |
| Total | 2,510,995 | 657,348 | 1,853,647 | 74 |
Source: EU TARIC, as of 7 January. Calculated by Kallanish
Elina Virchenko UAE
EU Commission initiates review of EU Safeguard Measures on Steel Imports
European Commission has initiated a functional review of the EU Safeguard measures on steel imports. This decision follows a request from 13 EU Member States, who provided evidence pointing to a contraction in Union demand for steel and widening gaps between the current level of duty-free quota volumes and actual demand.
Additionally, the surge in China’s steel exports to major regions has intensified global trade flows, leading to increased steel exports from other markets into the EU.
The request calls for a reassessment of the allocation and management of the tariff-rate quotas. Notably, the Commission has indicated that the review process will be accelerated, with any adjustments to the current regime becoming applicable as of 1 April 2025.
Questionnaire for EU Steel Users: