In 2025, steel imports, including semi-finished products, to the countries of the European Union significantly increased—by 14% compared to the previous year. The import of finished steel products grew particularly dynamically, rising by 9% year-on-year. This growth was driven by a 7% increase in flat products and a 17% rise in long products.
This is reported by Finway
Record Import Rates at the End of 2025
According to EUROFER’s analysis for the first quarter of 2026, the most significant increase in imports occurred in the fourth quarter of 2025. During this period, total steel imports to the EU surged by 53% compared to the same period the previous year, while the volumes of finished products rose by 35%. Deliveries of flat products increased by 39%, and long products by 23%.
“EUROFER attributes this dynamic to the impact of American tariffs and general uncertainty in global trade, which in the second half of the year contributed to a reduction in exports from the EU and an increase in imports to the European market.”
Consumption Structure and Major Steel Suppliers
In the third quarter of 2025, steel imports to the EU, along with semi-finished products, rose by 10% after a decline of 3.2% in the previous quarter. The share of imports in the apparent steel consumption in the EU reached a record 29% compared to 25% in the second quarter and 27% for the entire year of 2024. Overall, apparent steel consumption in 2025 is estimated at 132 million tons, exceeding the 2024 figure (129 million tons).
The largest suppliers of finished steel to the EU market remain:
- Turkey — 16.5% (404,000 tons);
- South Korea — 11.4% (280,000 tons);
- Indonesia — 9% (220,000 tons);
- China — 8.7% (213,000 tons);
- India — 8% (197,000 tons);
- Ukraine — 7% (172,000 tons).
The largest increase in imports was recorded from Indonesia (up 263%), Turkey (up 24%), China (up 31%), and Ukraine (up 8%). At the same time, deliveries from India decreased by 28%, and from Taiwan by 15%.
According to EUROFER, steel imports remained at historically high levels, contributing to an increase in the EU’s trade deficit. In 2025, the total trade deficit in steel, including semi-finished products, reached approximately 2 million tons per month, while in 2024 it was 1.4 million tons per month.