The Ukrainian government is actively negotiating with the leadership of the European Union to maintain the current conditions for the export of Ukrainian metallurgical products to the European market. This was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Taras Kachka, during the Exporters’ Summit.
This is reported by Finway
EU Plans to Restrict Steel Imports
The European Union is preparing to implement additional protective measures for the domestic steel market amid rising tariffs on metallurgical products in the USA to 50%. In particular, the European Commission has proposed to halve the volumes of duty-free import quotas for foreign steel producers and to raise tariffs on shipments exceeding these quotas to 50%. If such a decision is adopted, Ukrainian metallurgical production may face serious challenges, which is why the Ukrainian government is making efforts to preserve favorable trading conditions for national suppliers.
Preserving Preferences for Ukrainian Exports
Following the onset of Russia’s full-scale aggression in 2022, the European Union lifted a number of restrictions on Ukrainian products, including in the metallurgical sector. Anti-dumping and protective measures were not applied to Ukrainian exports, which helped support the industry during a difficult period. However, the EU is currently considering the possibility of introducing restrictions similar to American tariffs.
“During the war years, starting from 2022, the European Union lifted many restrictions on Ukrainian products, including metallurgical ones. No anti-dumping or protective measures were applied. And now, as the European Union plans to implement a similar approach to American tariffs, we actually have a very delicate, yet constructive dialogue regarding the preservation of trading conditions and export conditions for Ukrainian metallurgical products to the EU market,” Kachka noted.
The Deputy Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of considering current trends in the EU, particularly the increased focus on environmental issues. According to him, European metallurgy has been developing towards decarbonization for nearly two decades and receives substantial support from governments and funds. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, state support for environmental initiatives in the industry remains insufficient, putting domestic producers at a disadvantage when entering European markets.