Ferro-alloys.com：The European Commission is studying whether import tariffs on steel products can be lifted before June 30 this year. This tariff has a negative impact on U.S. ship exporters.

Mentioned here is a policy that imposes 25% tariffs on 26 types of steel products entering the EU 27 countries. In 2018, the Trump administration imposed 25% and 10% tariffs on steel products and aluminum products entering the U.S. market, and the EU subsequently initiated this tariff policy to counteract it.

This move by the United States has led to overcapacity, and Asian exporters are eager to empty their inventories. The European side puts hope on the newly appointed Biden administration and expects the Biden administration to become a better partner than the former Trump administration.

However, 12 EU countries require the European Commission to continue this steel import restriction until June 30 this year. The 12 countries are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia and Spain.

Affected by the epidemic, the demand for steel in the European market is currently low, and they worry that the abolition of this tariff will cause a large number of imported steel products to flood the market. In addition to the European Union’s steel tariffs for the United States, it also targets imported steel from Turkey, Russia, South Korea, China, India and Ukraine.

The European Commission is assessing whether the existence of this import tariff is still necessary to prevent or make up for the severe damage to the European steel market. The deadline of June 30 this year coincides with the expiration date of the current import tariffs.

The steel tariff dispute between the United States and the European Union has seriously affected the import business of American ship and engine manufacturers. The European Shipbuilding Industry Association EBI, the International Yacht Federation ICOMIA and the American Ship Manufacturers Association NMMA all eagerly hope that this dispute can be resolved. 

• [Editor:zhaozihao]