The EU's tariff schedule saw significant trade defence activity today, with new measures on steel products from China and Türkiye coming into force. The changes target steel grill, netting, fencing, and shelving units. Today’s update also loaded a large number of control-related duty changes affecting basic commodities—including cement, fertilisers, and iron ore—which introduce complex certificate requirements and conditional duties.
The themes
Today’s regulatory activity was defined by two distinct streams: the implementation of targeted trade defence measures and a broad update to controls on basic materials. The first stream continues the intense regulatory focus on the iron and steel sector, shifting from the large-scale administrative updates seen recently to the application of new protective duties. The second involves a wide-ranging set of complex duty and certificate changes for foundational goods, signalling adjustments to environmental or security controls.
Headline items
Trade defence was the day's main story, with several new measures and requirements taking effect today for iron and steel products. The changes primarily target:
- Steel grill, netting, and fencing (HS Chapter 73) from China and Türkiye. The updates include new measures and requirements under regulation R2022/26.
- Steel shelving units and their components (HS Chapter 94) from China, which are now subject to new measures and conditions.
Separately, today’s update included a large block of 79 duty rate changes classified as ‘Controls’. These changes, effective as of yesterday, apply to a wide range of goods from all non-EU countries, including:
- Cement and related products (Chapter 25)
- Iron ores (Chapter 26)
- Hydrogen and other chemicals (Chapter 28)
- Fertilisers (Chapter 31)
These updates, linked to regulation R0956/23, introduce a complex set of conditions, certificate requirements, and in some cases, specific duties such as 50.00 EUR per tonne.
Coming into force
Twenty-nine measures became effective today. The most significant are the trade defence measures on steel grill, netting, fencing, and shelving units from China and Türkiye, which were loaded and activated today. A new control measure for liqueurs and cordials also took effect.
What to watch
The intense regulatory focus on the iron and steel sector continues. Following the massive administrative updates loaded yesterday and last week, today’s implementation of new trade defence measures confirms that the sector remains under close scrutiny from both an administrative and a policy perspective. Importers should anticipate continued volatility and compliance adjustments in this area.