The European Commission has stated that it has proposed a plan to continue to exempt Ukrainian imports from trade defense measures to support Ukraine’s iron and steel sectors to continue operating in the face of war.
As iron and steel exports to the EU are a significant source of revenue for Ukraine, continuing to exempt these products from duties and quotas would support Ukraine's economy.
The proposal will now go to the European Council and European Parliament for approval. If adopted, it will ensure that Ukrainian steel exports into the EU continue to be exempt from EU steel safeguard measures even after June 5, 2025, which is the deadline for the exemption.
In 2022, the European Council adopted a regulation allowing for temporary trade liberalization and other trade concessions with regard to certain Ukrainian products, suspending all import duties on Ukrainian goods for one year, starting on June 4, 2022, as SteelOrbis previously reported. The duty suspension was extended twice, effective as of June 6, 2023 and June 6, 2024.