[ Markets ]
[ Markets ]
Production of crude stainless steel in 2024. Source: CRU
China 63.2 %
Europe 9.7 %
dumping, unfair tariff and operational practices, or unjustified public subsidies. Tariff preferences apply and will continue to apply. However, trade defence measures remain in place to counter unfair practices and unjustified subsidies until market equilibrium is restored. For example, flat-rolled stainless steel( HS codes 7219 and 7220) remains subject to several EU trade defence investigations. Vietnamese exports illustrate this dual framework: despite the EVFTA being in force, they face an anti-dumping duty of 19.3 % and a countervailing duty of 20.5 %. This case demonstrates the coexistence of tariff liberalisation and active trade defence enforcement.
Americas 3.5 %
India 7.2 %
Japan 3.5 %
South Korea 3.2 % Taiwan 1.1 %
Indonesia 7.9 %
South Africa 0.6 %
trade control instruments, including monitoring of prices, subsidies and overcapacity. As a result, the stainless
steel sector operates in a more structured environment that links trade openness with sustainability and competitiveness requirements at both regional and global levels.
Sources: https:// policy. trade. ec. europa. eu / eutrade-relationships-country-and-region / negotiations-and-agreements _ en https:// www. bundeswirtschaftsministerium. de / Redaktion / EN / Artikel / Foreign-Trade / ongoing-negotiations-for-free-tradeagreements-introduction. html https:// policy. trade. ec. europa. eu / news / commission-fights-circumventiontariffs-imports-cold-rolled-stainlesssteel-2024-05-07 _ en https:// eastasiaforum. org / 2020 / 05 / 21 / understanding-the-eu-vietnam-free-tradeagreement / https:// www. kielinstitut. de / fileadmin / Dateiverwaltung / IfW-Publications / fis-import / 82e3902e-610e-46e7-9176- 83e37af0d5ab-KPB202. pdf https:// www. crugroup. com / en / commodities / stainless-steel /
The Schmidt + Clemens Group is your specialist for high-grade steel.
Conclusion The European Union has progressively expanded its trade network to strengthen rules-based exchanges and reduce reliance on volatile markets and geopolical disruptive contexts. Recent agreements aim to eliminate tariffs on nearly all goods, including industrial materials. EU agreements with Indo-Pacific partners establish a structured and predictable framework for trade cooperation. Beyond tariff reduction, they support regulatory convergence, sustainability standards and enhanced monitoring of market practices. Within this framework, stainless steel is never fully liberalised. Tariff elimination coexists with permanent
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