According to a notification from the EU to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on June 11, 2025, the EU has the intention to adjust safeguard measures on imports of certain steel products, specifically category 17 (angles, shapes, and sections of iron or non-alloy steel.

Responding to a finding that its global quota system, which included a 15% country-specific cap, limited traditional suppliers after Ukraine's export halt in 2022, the European Commission finds it necessary to reintroduce the country-specific quota for the UK, Turkey, and South Korea and to reinstate the residual quota. This change would remove the 15% country-cap to preserve the traditional trade of these trading partners.

If adopted, the new regulation would take effect on July 1, 2025. Countries with specific quotas would not have access to the residual quota during the last quarter of a safeguard year. These measures will run until June 30, 2026, with a 0.1% annual liberalization rate.

The EU will hold consultations with exporting countries in Brussels (Belgium) at the Commission premises, or in a virtual setting from June 12-19, 2025.