International trade is essential for the European economy, and steel products are among the most intensively traded products in the world. Around a quarter of the 160 million tonnes of steel used in the EU every year is imported - and the EU is also a major steel exporter.
Trade policy issues are of central importance to EUROFER, because free and fair international trade conditions are the basis for the stability of the EU steel market. EUROFER welcomes free trade agreements that open up mutually accessible markets between trade partners and ensures fair access to public procurement tenders.
In particular, EUROFER monitors - on an ongoing basis - trade flows to ensure that imports into the EU are coming on a fair basis and are not dumped, produced using unfair subsidies or circumventing existing trade defence measures.
Brussels, 10 September 2024 – The Draghi Report thoroughly identifies the bottlenecks to both the EU industry's decarbonisation and competitiveness. The proposed recommendations for energy-intensive industries, including on energy, trade, carbon leakage, financing and lead markets, should be integrated into the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal and implemented with concrete measures as a matter of urgency. Alignment across different policies is crucial, and should be accompanied by sector-specific initiatives to enable the transition of each industry including steel, asks the European Steel Association.
Brussels, 05 September 2024 – The latest developments in the steel sector and across critical value chains are worrying signs of a steady deterioration, endangering the survival and the transition of steelmakers and their key manufacturing customers in Europe, such as automotive. A Clean Industrial Deal including swift and radical measures in EU industrial, energy and trade policies, is the last chance to ensure Europe’s prosperity and shield European industry from cheap imports driven by third countries’ unfair trade practices, overcapacity and lower climate ambition, urges the European Steel Association.
Picture Copyright: European Union, 2024 Source: EC - Audiovisual Service
Brussels, 18 July 2024 – The re-election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission paves the way for the continuation of the ambitious initiatives started in her first term. For a stronger and prosperous Europe, defining a pragmatic set of measures within the first 100 days of the new Commission mandate is the right step forward to ensure the success of the EU’s industry transition, if properly implemented. The European Steel Association urges that the Clean Industrial Deal be complemented as a priority by a European Steel Pact, as proposed by the German delegation to the European People’s Party (EPP).