Steel: EU final measures to restrict imports will harm auto industry

In March 2018 the Commission initiated a safeguard investigation on imports of steel into the EU in response to similar restrictions taken by the United States. In July, the Commission adopted provisional measures in the form of a ‘tariff-rate quota’ that places a 25% duty on imports above a certain level. On Thursday 20 December the Commission proposed to the 28 EU member states that those provisional measures should continue until July 2021.

ACEA questions the need for such trade protectionist measures. In the automotive sector access to EU steel production is extremely tight and imports remain necessary to fill supply-chain gaps. Meanwhile, EU producers of steel are benefitting from long-term high prices and excellent capacity utilisation rates, especially in the automotive sector. Financial results of European producers in the last years are a clear indication of the very positive market situation for them.

“Imports of steel into the EU have increased over the last years because European manufacturing output has grown substantially since the economic crisis,” explained ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert. “Motor vehicle manufacturing has increased by 5 million units per year since 2014, and some increase in steel imports has been necessary to meet this higher demand.”

Trade data from the US Government shows that there has been a relatively minor drop in global steel exports to the US that can be explained by the very high price of steel there, which regularly exceeds world market prices by 30 to 40%. Hence, there is little reason to assume trade diversion that would necessitate protection for EU steel producers, who are already highly protected by anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures.

“The EU auto industry is already facing major uncertainties in global trade: the threat of US national security tariffs on imports of motor vehicles and auto parts is ever-present and the possibility of a no-deal Brexit cannot be ruled out either. These protective measures for steel imports come at a challenging time for the automotive sector and will negatively impact the competitiveness of European manufacturers,” Erik Jonnaert underlined.