EU steel safeguard measures: reminder and developments in the second half of the year
Since 2 February 2019, the European Union has been applying safeguard measures on certain imports of steel products as part of the WTO (World Trade Organisation) global measures. The main product families concerned are flat steels, long steels, certain stainless steel products, coated products and tubes, all falling within Chapters 72 and 73. These measures operate in the form of tariff quotas: within open volumes, imports are exempt from additional duty; In addition, an additional duty of 25 % applies to the value for duty of the goods.
The mechanism is therefore based on a simple logic: as long as the imported volume remains within the available quota, the operation benefits from the normal regime; Beyond this, imports are overtaxed. Quotas are allocated in accordance with the rules laid down in the applicable texts and their consumption can be monitored over the course of imports via the European Commission website: consultation on tariff quotas.
The 2019 Regulation expires on 30 June 2026. Last week, the negotiators of the European Parliament and the Council reached agreement on new measures to maintain the protection of the EU steel sector.
The new EU framework is based on two main developments. On the one hand, duty-free import quotas are reduced; public documents mention an annual level of 18.3 million tonnes, a 47% decrease from the 2024 quotas. On the other hand, the additional duty applied outside the quota will be increased to 50%.
The text also emphasises better traceability of imported steel products. Importers will need to provide more precise evidence of the origin of steel in order to limit circumvention and clarify the application of the rules.
The provisional agreement is still to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council in the coming weeks, before entry into force on 1 July 2026.
In addition, the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/846 of the Commission, published in the Official Journal of 10 April 2026, amends Regulation (EU) 2019/159 by creating two new customs positions for steel bars and rods of heading 7228; that amendment follows the finding of circumvention practices by certain operators.
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