Switzerland and the European Union have held discussions on EU measures affecting steel imports and safeguard measures on certain ferroalloys, following an extraordinary meeting of the Joint Committee established under the bilateral free trade agreement. The meeting took place in Brussels on January 26, 2026, at Switzerland’s request, according to an official statement from the Swiss authorities.
During the Joint Committee meeting, Switzerland argued that the planned EU measures should disrupt bilateral trade as little as possible and ensure the proper functioning of the Switzerland-EU free trade agreement.
The European Commission (EC) indicated that it intends to reassess the situation regarding safeguard measures on ferroalloys during the first year of application. The EC imposed country-specific tariff-rate quotas for each ferroalloy type in November last year, as SteelOrbis previously reported. With the exception of certain developing countries and Ukraine, the safeguards apply to all exporting countries, including Switzerland as well as members of the European Free Trade Association and the European Economic Area.
At the extraordinary meeting, Switzerland again called for Swiss steel products to be excluded from the scope of the new measures. The Swiss authorities stressed that Swiss steel production does not contribute to global overcapacity, but instead supports regional value chains that are important for certain European industrial ecosystems.
Switzerland said it will continue efforts to find a solution with the EU that preserves bilateral trade flows to the greatest extent possible.
