According to the European Commission’s statements, in the context of the imminent completion of the current period for quantitative allocation (January-March quarter), there is a nearing exhaustion of the quotas allocated for the import of certain categories of steel products, particularly long products. This phenomenon is observed despite reduced demand for these categories on the European Union market.
In detail, the situation in Turkey is notable, which has used 99.51% of its quota allocated for the first quarter of the current year for hot-rolled wire rod, both alloyed and non-alloyed, with a total quota of 145.17 thousand tons. On the other hand, India was close to exhausting its total quotas for small-sized stainless steel bars and profiles, consuming 31.29 thousand tons out of a total allocation of 31.33 thousand tons, plus an excess of 1.84 thousand tons that is yet to be cleared. Consequently, India’s quota for this category of products will be exceeded.
Moreover, India has used 91.83% of its quota allocated for the imports of hot-rolled coil (HRC) steel, whether alloyed or non-alloyed, with the quota being 574.44 thousand tons, fully exhausting the quotas for the import of coated steel plate.
China, in turn, has fully consumed its import quotas for the January-March period allocated for large-diameter welded pipes (25B) and other categories of welded pipes, totaling 8.34 kt and 7.97 kt respectively, and has used 90.81% of its quota for other types of seamless pipes.
In Spain, the Steel Producers Association, Unesid, reported an economic loss of 55 million euros in 2023, attributed to the imports of pipes from China, incorrectly labeled as structures for photovoltaic installations. This practice, used by some importers to circumvent EU regulations on steel imports, involves the incorrect declaration of these products as components for solar energy systems.