Riegel/Berlin, 31 July 2025 – In a direct letter to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Gerber Steel GmbH has raised sharp criticism of the European Commission, accusing Brussels of systematically ignoring the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – with severe consequences for Europe’s economic stability.
Riegel/Brussels, 7 July 2025 – As the expiry of the EU’s Safeguard Measure on certain steel products approaches in June 2026, and the full implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) begins in January of the same year, the Gerber Group urges the European Commission to prevent a looming policy collision that could severely harm small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). And presents a model for a Steel Carbon Shields, which aims in particular to strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs in the EU.
Riegel/Strasbourg, 21 May 2025 – The Gerber Group warns that the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) are structurally biased in favor of large corporations, placing an unsustainable burden on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of Europe’s economy.
Riegel/Strasbourg, 8 April 2025 – The Gerber Group has sharply criticized the European Commission’s recently presented Steel and Metals Action Plan, calling it a missed opportunity for Europe’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are once again left sidelined in favor of large multinational corporations.
Riegel/Strasbourg, 18 March 2025 – The Gerber Group is calling on the European Commission and Members of the European Parliament to stop ignoring small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and finally deliver on long-standing promises of support.
Riegel/Strasbourg, 26 February 2025 – As the European Commission prepares to host its “Strategic Dialogue on Steel” next week, the Gerber Group urgently calls for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to be included at the table. According to the Commission’s announcement, key stakeholders include large steel producers, raw material suppliers, and social partners — but SMEs are once again notably absent.
Riegel/Brussels, 30 January 2025 – In a detailed rebuttal regarding the review of the EU Safeguard Measure on certain steel products submitted to the European Commission, the Gerber Group has accused the European steel lobby EUROFER of pushing illegal and anti-competitive demands that directly violate both EU regulations and WTO law. The company calls on the Commission to reject these demands from the steel lobby in full — and to finally protect Europe’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Riegel/Strasbourg, 14 January 2025 – As the European Commission proceeds with its review of the EU Safeguard Measure on steel products, the Gerber Group is raising alarm over what it calls a deliberate distortion of the “level playing field” — a concept increasingly used by policymakers but rarely applied fairly to Europe’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Riegel/Brussels, 9 January 2025 – In a formal submission to the European Commission, the Gerber Group has called for an immediate end to the current EU Safeguard Measure on certain steel products, denouncing it as a politically driven tool that undermines the competitiveness of Europe’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Riegel/Strasbourg, 18 December 2024 – The Gerber Group warns Members of the European Parliament that the European Commission’s newly launched review of the EU Safeguard Measure on certain steel products risks deepening the crisis for millions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and jeopardizing over 11.5 million direct jobs in the steel processing industry.
Riegel/Strasbourg, 14 November 2024 – The Gerber Group warns Members of the European Parliament against supporting the proposed EU Steel Action Plan, which—despite its dramatic rhetoric—would primarily benefit large multinational steel producers at the expense of millions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Europe.
Riegel/Strasbourg, 24 October 2024 – Following the European Parliament debate on the so-called steel crisis, the Gerber Group calls for a fact-based correction of the narrative driven by large steel corporations and their lobbyists – a narrative that comes at the expense of Europe’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
On 2 June, the USTR published the findings of its Section 301 investigations into forced labour. The result: the measures taken by all 59 countries investigated and by the European Union were classified as insufficient. The consequence: additional tariffs of 10 to 12.5% – cumulative on top of existing tariffs.
In the United States, the higher Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium have been in force for more than a year. The consequences are now being felt on supermarket shelves: companies in the food industry that depend on imported tinplate for the production of cans are being hit hard. Tinplate has not been produced in sufficient quantities in the United States for years – because it is more attractive for domestic steel producers to manufacture products with higher margins.
The bureaucratic monster keeps growing. CBAM has been in force for 20 weeks – still full of errors, still unfinished, still an imposition on every entrepreneur who needs reliable figures. At the same time, the Commission is already actively working on extending CBAM to downstream products. More thousands of pages. More costs. More SMEs left to deal with the fallout.
On 7 May, I was at the German Bundestag because of CBAM and steel tariffs. Not for the first time on this issue – but for the first time with this level of clear reaction.
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