The Italian Association of Scrap, Raw Material, and Steel Distributors (Assofermet) informed the European Commission on 22 September 2025 that most products imported from the countries in question meet higher quality standards than EU-produced goods and are highly valued by European manufacturing industries. The association highlighted that these five countries account for roughly two-thirds of the EU’s cold-rolled imports, noting that the European steel industry faces supply gaps, particularly in specific quality grades and size ranges.
Assofermet warned that under these conditions, any new measure could jeopardize supply continuity. It also stressed that the existing safeguard measure already limits imports, and an additional anti-dumping duty would create overlapping and harmful effects.
The association further noted that the EU’s current trade defense mechanisms anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, safeguard measures, and the recently implemented CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) are collectively restricting European manufacturers’ access to steel raw materials. According to Assofermet, these restrictions reduce the international competitiveness of European industry and have structural negative effects on economic growth and employment.
Assofermet specifically urged that shipments contracted until the end of 2025 be exempt from any new tariffs and called for a more balanced assessment of the potential impacts of measures on EU user industries and supply chains.
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