EU Slashes Steel Import Quotas to Shield Domestic Producers

The Commission intends to push regional steel capacity utilization toward an 80 percent target. However, industry analysts at Eurofer remain skeptical of such optimistic projections, forecasting a recovery to only 73 or 75 percent due to persistent sluggishness in market demand.

Under the new framework, half of the available quota is reserved exclusively for free-trade agreement partners. Remaining volumes will be allocated based on historical trade data to manage the flow of materials. By insulating the market from international overcapacity, the bloc hopes to stabilize its domestic sector against mounting competitive pressure.