Giancarlo Giorgetti, the Minister of Economic Development of Italy, called on the EU to temporarily suspend steel import tariffs to prevent steel shortages and support the growth in the manufacturing industry in Europe.

The Minister said that during the COVID-19 epidemic, only steel manufacturers’ interests were taken into consideration while ignoring the impact on the local supply chain.

Therefore, to stabilize the operation of the downstream steel industry, the EU’s tariffs imposed on steel imports should be suspended temporarily to avoid negative influence on the industry.