The European Commission, the European Steel Association (EUROFER), UK-based trade association UK Steel, the German Steel Federation Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahl (WV Stahl) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) have all given their evaluations regarding the 25 percent tariffs lately announced by the US on imports of steel and aluminum from all countries including its main trading partners such as Canada, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, the EU, Japan and the UK.
The EC stated that it has not received any official notification regarding the imposition of tariffs on EU goods and that it will not respond to the news without clarification. It also does not see any reason for the implementation of tariffs on its exports. However, the EU will respond accordingly to protect the interest of its consumers and industries against the unjustified tariffs. According to the EC, overall, tariffs would be unlawful and economically counterproductive since the production chains of the EU and the US are deeply integrated, resulting in increased economic uncertainty and disruption of the efficiency and integration of global markets.
Dr. Henrik Adam, president of EUROFER, expressed that the tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump are an escalation of the trade war launched during his first administration, worsening the conditions for the European steel industry. He indicated that, if all exemptions and tariff-rate quotas are removed due to the tariffs, the EU could lose up to 3.7 million mt of steel exports to the US, which cannot be compensated by exporting to other markets. Additionally, global steel overcapacity is already putting pressure on the EU steel industry, leading to the inability to invest in the green transition and in deindustrialization, he said. As a result, he noted that the EU should urgently revise its safeguard measures, which have lost their effectiveness over the past six years, allowing imports to the region to increase sharply. Also, it is essential for the EU to continue implementing a comprehensive tariffication system, he said, since the current safeguard measures will expire in late June 2026. Without a stricter safeguard regime, the US tariffs will eventually lead to the idling of the EU steel industry and ultimately to closure, Mr. Adam concluded.
In the meantime, UK Steel pointed out that it is unclear whether the new decision will override the current trade arrangements between the UK and the US. However, any changes to these could cause damage to the domestic steel industry. Moreover, underlining that the US is the UK’s second largest export market after the EU, with its annual steel exports amounting to about 200,000 mt worth over £400 million, Gareth Stace, director general of UK Steel, said the tariffs will have a negative impact on the country’s steel exports and its contribution to the trade balance when demand is declining and costs are rising. He emphasized that the tariffs will eventually result in the diversion of trade flows, with steel overcapacity potentially redirected to the UK. This shows the urgent need for stricter measures in 2026 to curb rising imports, following the expiry of the UK’s steel safeguards in June 2026. Also, accelerating the introduction of the UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to 2026 would provide an additional layer of protection against low-cost import steel.
Gunnar Groebler, president of WV Stahl, stated that the tariffs will hit Germany’s steel industry and the European steel industry in general since the US is the most important export market for Europe, with about 1 million mt of mostly special steel being exported to the US from Germany every year and around 20 percent of the EU’s all steel exports being shipped to the US. Mr. Groebler added that it is time for the EU to act as a united front to protect the domestic steel industry since the US tariffs will result in volumes being directed to Europe, further increasing the pressure due to overcapacity from China. He has called on the EU to continue its talks with the US about a sectoral agreement in order to strengthen the region.
Finally, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) condemned the US tariffs, stating that they will negatively affect jobs, urging the EC to work with trade unions to prepare a response to these tariffs with the aim of protecting industries.