EU steel exports to the United States have fallen markedly since Washington increased tariffs on steel and aluminium to 50%, industry association Eurofer said on Thursday, estimating a 34% decline. The group also pointed to higher duties on derivative goods - items containing metal content such as washing machines and motorbikes - as a further drag on demand for European output.
Eurofer reported that, in the three quarters following the U.S. decision to double import tariffs from 25% to 50%, shipments to the U.S. totalled 1.94 million metric tons. By contrast, EU producers exported 3.4 million tons to the United States in 2025, compared with 4.1 million tons in 2024 and 4.7 million tons in 2017, according to the association.
The group underlined the importance of carrying through the bilateral trade agreement struck last July. That deal, agreed at the Turnberry golf course in Scotland, envisages the European Union removing most of its duties on U.S. goods imports in exchange for a broad 15% U.S. tariff on EU exports. The agreement also set out that the two sides should explore the possibility of tariff-free steel and aluminium quotas and cooperate on tackling global overcapacity.
Axel Eggert, Eurofer's director general, said the United States needs to honour its commitment to collaborate with the EU to find a workable solution. Eurofer highlighted another complication for EU producers - U.S. tariff measures on so-called 'derivative' products, where the metal content was initially subject to the 50% duty. The administration widened the list of products covered roughly a month after the Turnberry agreement, adding more items to the higher-duty category.
Since then, the administration has reduced a number of tariff rates. A recent proclamation on Monday cut the rate on some products to 15% for the EU. Nonetheless, certain goods - including fridges, lawn mowers and rail parts - remain subject to a 25% rate. Eurofer noted that the EU could suspend certain concessions if these duties do not fall to 15% by the end of the year.
The association's figures and appeals draw attention to the immediate trade effects of tariff shifts and the ongoing negotiations intended to stabilise transatlantic metal flows.