Steel is a fundamental pillar of a healthy economy, essential for infrastructure, construction, and industrial development. Industrialisation typically starts with the establishment of a domestic steel industry.
However, some formerly developing countries struggle to scale down their steel production once they reach a mature industrial stage. Meanwhile, other countries continue to expand their steel industries, often guided by government strategies aimed at boosting exports. This dynamic has led to production capacities far exceeding global demand.
As of 2024, global steel overcapacity exceeded 602 million tonnes - more than 4 times the EU’s total annual steel consumption – and is projected to rise to 721 million tonnes by 2027. Despite the growing mismatch, capacity reductions are frequently delayed or avoided due to government intervention, resulting in entrenched structural overcapacity and significant market distortions.
As a consequence, EU steel trade deficit has massively widened since 2021. A positive trade balance in finished steel products of 11 million tonne in 2013 has turned into a deficit of 10.7 million tonnes in 2024.
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Strasbourg, 07 October 2025 – The new trade measure presented today by the European Commission is a long-awaited proposal to forcefully defend the European steel sector, in full respect of WTO rules, from unfair imports flooding the EU market due to massive global overcapacity. The provisions unveiled by the Commission respond to the needs of the sector and represent a real lifeline for EU steelmakers and steelworkers. The European Parliament and the Council should therefore adopt it as a matter of urgency to enable its entry into force at the beginning of 2026, says the European Steel Association (EUROFER).
Brussels, 01/10/2025
With Europe’s steel industry at breaking point, industriAll Europe and the European Steel Association (EUROFER) held an emergency steel social summit to demand urgent action. Ahead of the announced Commission proposal addressing the impact of global steel excess capacity on the EU steel market, due by mid-October, the European social partners are united in calling for robust and effective trade measures. They also insist on fast and urgent implementation of the EU Steel and Metals Action Plan, especially concerning energy prices and demand. Maintaining the level of political ambition as promised in the EU Steel and Metals Action Plan is essential to restore steel’s competitiveness and save its green transition as well as steelworkers’ jobs across Europe.
Brussels, 19 September 2025 – Following today’s meeting between Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič and a delegation of European steel CEOs on the global steel crisis and the challenges facing the EU steel industry amid massive decarbonisation investments: