The EU has announced plans to impose matching tariffs on steel imports in response to those introduced by Donald Trump, a move that threatens to hit the UK steel industry hard.
With 80% of British steel exports going to the EU, lobbyists warn the sector is heading for a serious crisis.
In a plan unveiled on Thursday, the European Commission also proposed cutting duty-free import quotas while requiring companies to disclose where the metal was originally melted, in order to prevent Chinese products from entering the European market through third countries.
“The European steel industry was on the verge of collapse, we are protecting it so that it can invest, decarbonise, and become competitive again,” the EU’s industry commissioner, Stéphane Séjourné, told an event in Strasbourg.
The proposal aims to scrap the quota system that has been in place for seven years and is set to expire in 2026.
According to a source, the move is designed to serve as leverage in negotiations to persuade the US to lift its tariffs.
