23 June 2026 – Has the EU failed to prevail with its harsh trade policy on steel tariffs and import quotas? Initial figures from Asia suggest that Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič may have had to make greater concessions – and has angered key trading partners. German crude steel production: fifth consecutive increase – yet the association still plays it down.
German Crude Steel Production: Fifth Consecutive Increase
– Yet the Association Still Plays It Down
According to WV Stahl, German steelmakers produced more crude steel in May for the fifth month in a row. Extrapolated to the full year 2026, production could reach up to 38 million tonnes – the highest level since 2021.
Crisis Rhetoric Despite Rising Production
The association is reflexively trying to downplay the significant increase, pointing to an allegedly “healthy level” of 40 million tonnes. Yet even purely mathematically, it is questionable whether this figure is still achievable at all: Blast Furnace 9 at thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, with a capacity of 1.6 million tonnes, was shut down in 2025, while Blast Furnace B at Salzgitter AG, with around 2 million tonnes of capacity, is set to follow in 2026 as part of the “green” transformation.
Against this backdrop, using the 40-million-tonne mark as a benchmark is, at best, misleading.
Raw Material Supply Remains Under Pressure
For several weeks, construction work by Deutsche Bahn has also been putting pressure on the raw material supply of major producers such as Salzgitter and ArcelorMittal – iron ore is arriving with delays. The issue was the subject of talks with several state governments only a few days ago.
State failure in infrastructure as yet another cost driver – while the association prefers to complain about import quotas.
EU Steel Quotas: First Figures Leak Out – More Than Expected?
Many rumours continue to circulate around the country-specific quotas for the EU safeguard successor. Now, for the first time, concrete figures appear to be among them: an Asian industry minister recently let slip that individual countries may have been granted significantly higher import quotas than previously assumed.
If true, this would be a remarkable development – and an indication that Brussels may not have done itself any favours with the harsh trade policy pursued by alleged deal-maker Maroš Šefčovič towards Europe’s trading partners. The Asian industry minister reportedly said, among other things, that nothing had been offered to the EU and pointed out that the measure would violate the free trade agreement and that countermeasures could be taken.
As soon as reliable and verified data are available, we will provide an update immediately.
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