[SMM Steel] EU initiates GOES and transformer steel safeguarding investigation
[SMM Steel] On March 30, 2026, the European Commission officially launched a safeguard investigation into imports of grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES), as well as transformer laminations and cores. Unlike standard steel products, these were previously excluded from existing EU safeguard measures. The investigation aims to determine if a surge in imports is causing or threatening "serious injury" to EU domestic producers, marking a significant expansion of the EU's trade defense policy in the energy sector.