The new European Union rules for the import of 26 categories of steel products came into force this Wednesday (Jul.1.2026). The volume that could enter the block is 18.3 million tons per year – a reduction of 47%. Anyone exceeding this amount will pay a 50% fee.
Half of the quota is allocated to countries that maintain free trade agreements with the EU. According to , this category is responsible for 80% of EU steel imports. Brazil is listed in the document published in Journal of the European Union ( – PDF – 2 MB) as belonging to this group.
The other part remains available to all commercial partners, including those already included in the 1st half.
“Thus, partners with FTA [Acordo de Livre Comércio] will maintain an EU market access share significantly higher than the average 47% reduction envisaged by the Steel Regulation.”said the European Commission.
The measure, according to the agency, “represents a fundamental step towards ensuring the long-term viability of a strategically crucial European industry”. The distribution of tariff quotas “is based on a set of clearly defined criteria”.
According to the European Commission, this “guarantees a predictable level of access to the European market for suppliers from third countries through a fair and objective methodology, also ensuring diversity of supply for EU industrial users”.
The body spoke in a “persistent global overcapacity in the steel sector”which “it continues to be a serious problem on a global scale and continues to distort” international markets.
“The measure re-establishes fair competition in a market affected by distortions related to overcapacity, protecting jobs in EU steel production and offering European steel mills the economic space they need to invest in cleaner and more innovative steel production within the European Union”he declared.
