Tuesday's proposal means that the tariffs on steel from outside the EU will be increased from 25 percent to 50 percent on volumes exceeding the current import quota. And that quota is to be reduced by 47 percent, to 18.3 million tons per year.
"To save our steel mills and our European jobs. This is Europe's reindustrialization", writes Séjourné on X.
The proposal, which as usual needs to be approved by both the EU Parliament and the EU member states, is to permanently replace the current 25 percent protective tariffs that expire next year.
At a press conference in Strasbourg, Séjourné and the EU's Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic assure that the EU proposals are compatible with international WTO rules.
At the same time, they believe that they must act to save jobs and meet the competition from "global overproduction" - above all from China.
We do not apologize for protecting the European steel market, says Séjourné.
The Jernkontoret, the Swedish iron and steel industry's trade organization, welcomes the proposal.
"Today's proposal is absolutely necessary for the Swedish and European steel industry to survive", says CEO Annika Roos in a press release.
"What was presented today is crucial to combat the unfair competition from above all China."
