The association stressed that the proposal represents a “last chance” for the sector to recover from a situation that has almost “collapsed” under intense import pressure.
According to EUROFER, the current outlook indicates that, without safeguard measures, ferroalloy production in Europe could disappear entirely in the coming years. In such a scenario, European steel producers, the largest users of ferroalloys, would become fully dependent on third countries for critical raw materials, putting the integrity of Europe’s entire metals value chain at risk.
The system proposed by the Commission does not impose broad tariffs on every ton of imports; instead, it introduces a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) that allows a certain volume of ferroalloys to enter the EU market duty-free. EUROFER stated that this structure strikes a fair balance between suppliers and users, and that it is a non-discriminatory approach aimed at strengthening the EU’s economic resilience.
The statement highlighted that the cost implications for steel producers must be taken into account; however, the mechanism would also reduce the risk of market distortions and excessive price pressure that could arise if supply continuity were disrupted and the EU became fully dependent on external sources.
In light of these considerations, EUROFER reiterated its call for the urgent adoption of the TRQ-based safeguard system to protect the European ferroalloy industry and maintain stability across the continent’s supply chain.
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