Starting Wednesday, the European Union will cap tariff-free steel imports at 18.3 million metric tons per year. That figure represents a 47% cut from the import volumes recorded in 2024, making it one of the most aggressive trade protection moves Brussels has made in years.
Any steel entering the bloc above that quota will face a 50% tariff, double the previous 25% rate.
How the new system works
The mechanism replacing the EU’s expiring safeguard measures is called a tariff-rate quota, or TRQ. Importers get a fixed allowance of steel they can bring in without extra charges, and once that pool is exhausted, the price of entry gets steep fast.
Quotas will be sliced up by product category based on import volumes from 2022 through 2024. They’ll be managed on a quarterly basis, which means importers can’t front-load shipments early in the year and coast.
