EUROFER officials comment on trade diversion caused by US tariffs

Friday, 26 October 2018 17:22:28 (GMT+3) |Istanbul

According to media reports, Jeroen Vermeij, director of market analysis and economic studies at the European Steel Association (EUROFER), has said that steel imports intoEuropeincreased sharply as a result ofUStariffs, particularly imports fromTurkey, amid the slowing down of the steel demand inEurope. “They are pushing a lot of volumes into the EU market at any cost,” said Mr. Vermeij.

According to EUROFER figures, in the first nine months of the current year imports fromTurkeyandRussiainto the EU increased, up 57 percent fromTurkeyand rising by 56 percent fromRussia.

According to Reuters, Karl Tachelet, EUROFER’s trade director, stated that theUStariffs caused a surge of some 40 percent inUSsteel prices, meaning European producers could still sell some steel to the country. “The question forusis how long are theUSprices going to stay that high. There will be some correction and when prices go down the 25 percent will be more prohibitive,” Reuters quoted Mr. Tachelet as saying.

EUROFER said it was mostly satisfied with the system in the EU, “but the quotas are global and country-specific quotas should apply to major exporters to help stabilize the market”, Reuters reported.