The Italian association representing the trade, distribution and processing of steel products Assofermet published a press release today, June 26, in which it urges the European Commission to "proceed with the utmost urgency to adopt the country-specific quotas" of the new safeguard regulation, "putting an end to a situation that risks compromising the regular functioning of supply chains and the competitiveness of European industry.”
A few days before the implementation of the new safeguard regulation that will define the tariff quotas for the import of steel products into the European Union, the EU Commission has not yet defined the distribution of the quotas of origin.
"This is an extremely serious omission, which generates a climate of total uncertainty for market players, as well as a source of inevitable new complexities in the management and execution of contracts at international level and in the customs clearance phase," Assofermet claimed, defining the delay as "incomprehensible and unjustifiable".
In this scenario, companies operating in the steel sector, including importers, distributors, as well as end-users, are forced to plan their activities in a context of total uncertainty, unaware of the operating methods to be implemented once the new rules come into force on July 1.
Another issue mentioned by Assofermet concerns the questions that this situation generates regarding customs obligations and the timing of operators' adaptation to the new regulatory framework.
The association's position is firm, defining the behavior of the EU Commission as "incompatible with the principles of legal certainty, administrative transparency and protection of the legitimate expectations of companies towards the institutions".
