EU Sharply Restricts Steel Imports, Doubling Tariffs to 50%

The European Union tightened steel import rules on May 19, 2026, effective July 1. It cut duty-free quotas to 18.3 million tonnes yearly—down from 27.4 million in 2024—and doubled tariffs on excess imports to 50%. Officials blame oversupply and Chinese subsidies. Fourteen member states backed the move, extending protections first set in 2018 after U.S. trade barriers.