French Industry Minister Marc Ferracci has proposed a new initiative for comprehensive EU trade measures on steel imports. The initiative aims to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the European steel industry and steel capacity utilization close to the 85% target set by the EC in its action plan for steel and metals. The informal document was supported by 11 EU member states. It outlines a roadmap for replacing the protective measures currently in place. The proposal calls on the EC to develop and present a new system well before the expiry of the current protective measures (June 2026), preferably from the beginning of next year, to ensure a smooth transition and protection of the European market. Among the key proposals are the following: The new system should take the form of a tariff quota system with flexible volumes to adapt to changes in Europ...

The Trade Commission has proposed provisional tariffs ranging from 28.16% to 33.57%   The South Korean Trade Commission (KTC) has recommended that the Ministry of Economy and Finance impose preliminary anti-dumping measures on imports of hot-rolled carbon and alloy steel (HRC) from China and Japan. This was reported by Mysteel Global. The KTC investigation was launched in March this year based on a complaint filed by Hyundai Steel. The company claims that the influx of cheap Chinese and Japanese hot-rolled steel has damaged the local steel market. KTC recommended imposing preliminary anti-dumping duties ranging from 31.58% to 33.57% on Japanese HRC and from 28.16% to 33.1% on Chinese products. The Ministry of Finance will decide whether to apply preliminary anti-dumping measures by the end of August this year. Recall that at the...

US tariffs of 50% on steel and aluminum imports are not part of the agreement US President Donald Trump has announced that he has reached a major tariff agreement with Japan, one of the country’s largest trading partners, according to the BBC. Under the agreement, Japan will invest $550 billion in the United States and pay a reciprocal tariff of 15%, Trump wrote on social media. The US president added that Japan will open its economy to American goods, including cars, trucks, rice, and some agricultural products. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba explained that the investment package in the US includes loans and guarantees from institutions affiliated with the Japanese government for the announced amount to allow Japanese firms to build sustainable supply chains in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. He also sai...

Steel production in 70 producing countries amounted to 151.4 million tons per month Global steel production in June 2025 fell by 5.8% compared to the same month in 2024, to 151.4 million tons. Compared to the previous month, the figure decreased by 4.7%. This is evidenced by the global ranking of steel-producing countries (70) by the World Steel Association. Total steel production in the CIS countries + Ukraine decreased by 8.8% y/y and 4.3% m/m to 6.7 million tons, in particular in Ukraine – it decreased by 2.3% y/y and 15.4% m/m to 621,400 tons. According to World Steel, the top ten steel-producing countries in June were: China – 83.2 million tons (-9.2% y/y); India – 13.6 million tons (+13.3%); USA – 6.9 million tons (+4.6%); Japan – 6.7 million tons (-4.4%); Russia – 5.6 million tons (-7.4%); South Korea – 5 mi...

A 30% duty on imports from Europe threatens supply chains for EAF steel mills The proposed 30% tariff on imports from Europe to the US could deal a serious blow to the supply chains of ferrous scrap for American steel producers using electric arc furnaces (EAFs). This was reported by Argus.Media. The Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden are among the key suppliers of high-quality scrap to the US. According to US Customs, 222,000 tons of scrap were imported from the EU in January-May 2025, accounting for almost a third of the total volume, which is 94% more than in January-May 2024. At the same time, a 10% duty on imports of iron-bearing raw materials from Europe was introduced in early April, but its impact on the market has so far been limited. The new tariffs could significantly reduce supply volumes. This decision follows the announced 50% duty on ...

The government will also change its procurement rules and support the industry's transition to new business areas Canada is strengthening its steel import tariff quota system to mitigate the impact of US tariffs on its steel industry. The relevant measures were announced on the Canadian government’s website. As noted, Canadian steel producers are export-oriented and therefore vulnerable to changes in international trade policy. In 2024, they exported just over 50% of their annual production, with 90% of these volumes going to the United States. Growing trade pressures and market disruptions require a clear and proactive response. In order to help domestic producers who are suffering from US tariffs imposed in this sector, Canada will reduce the duty-free volume of steel imports into the country. Starting 1 August 2025, imports from countries that have a ...