The European Economic and Social Committee (ESC) voiced anxiety about the existential crisis, which is faced with the steel and metallurgical industry of Europe. Since imports are growing, US tariffs close export routes and grow global excess capacities, ESC warns that Europe risks losing not only its steel power, but also its strategic autonomy, green transition and industrial safety.
Crisis
since 2018, steel production in the EU has fallen by 31 million tons, while imports currently occupy 27 percent of the domestic market. A key blow fell on March 2025, when the United States again introduced 50 percent tariffs for steel from the EU, cutting off the vital market for 4.6 million tons of exports per year. This measure risks distracting 27 million tons of world flows steel to Europe, while the global excess of capacities, according to forecasts, will grow to 721 million tons by 2027 - five times compared to annual production in Europe. EESC
eesc offers a plan for saving the steel industry of Europe with a combination of trade, energy and environmental measures:
- Import restrictions: 15 percent for flat and stainless steel, five percent for long -sized steel.
- Universal tariffs are applied to all countries without exception.
- strict rules “melted and poured” to stop bypass.
- stop transferring quotas; ensure compliance with strong super -hungry tariffs (ideally at the level of 50 percent).
