[SMM Stainless Steel Flash] Japanese Steel Industry Criticizes EU's New Import Regime and Trade Measures

Published: Jul 6, 2026 11:46

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Five major Japanese steel associations issued a joint statement criticizing the EU's new steel import regime effective July 1, which has significantly curtailed market access for Japanese steel. The new system roughly halves total TRQs from the previous safeguard regime and raises the out-of-quota duty to 50%, reducing Japan's country-specific quota to approximately 800,000t — well below its 2022-2024 average annual EU exports of around 1.5 million tonnes. The associations also criticized the EU's September 2025 final anti-dumping duties on Japanese hot-rolled flat steel, arguing that the investigation failed to adequately account for the trade-restrictive impact of the July 2024 safeguard tightening, and expressed concern over a separate ongoing AD investigation into cold-rolled flat steel. Describing the measures as inconsistent with the Japan-EU EPA and potentially in breach of WTO rules, the associations urged the Japanese government to pursue early resolution through available dispute settlement mechanisms.

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