The European Union's new steel import quota system officially came into force on July 1, 2026, introducing a revised tariff quota regime that significantly changes the way steel imports are managed across the bloc, with important implications for Belgian steel traders, according to a statement from Belmetal, the Belgian Metals Distribution Association.
The European Commission has set country- and product-specific quotas and fully implemented new EU steel market protection mechanism.
Twelve FTA partners receive preferential treatment
Before finalizing quota allocations, the European Commission held talks with several countries that have free trade agreements (FTAs) with the EU. As part of the final allocation, 12 FTA partners received more favorable treatment than originally offered. These include, but are not limited to, the UK, Ukraine, Switzerland, Serbia, North Macedonia, South Korea and Turkey.
In the Commission's view, the approach is designed to maintain security of supply, respect existing trade agreements and maintain diversified sources of imports. Ukraine also benefits from special preferential treatment reflecting its exceptional security situation.
The new quota regime introduces several allocation mechanisms, including:
- Country quotas for major exporting countries;
- Separate quotas for FTA partners;
- Residual quotas for “Others”
