5 August 2025 – EU stainless steel mills are importing slabs from Indonesia in large quantities, thereby actively undermining existing market protection measures – 2025 could see statistics finally explode! Groundhog Day: US aluminium premiums continue to rise. Europe’s green hydrogen dreams shattered by reality.
Groundhog Day: US aluminium premiums continue to rise
US aluminium premiums seem to know no upper limit due to the significantly increased Section 232. Premiums rose again yesterday by approximately 1.9% and now stand at USD 0.72/lb or USD 1587/MT. The continuous increase points to an increasingly dramatic shortage of aluminium on the US market.
Europe’s green hydrogen dreams shattered by reality
Back in 2021, we predicted that the European Commission’s utopian hydrogen fantasies would not stand up to a reality check. In the meantime, the hydrogen bubble has burst, not only because of the space required for wind turbines, which is equivalent to more than 120,000 football fields, but also because of the construction of the necessary facilities and infrastructure. Not to mention the amount of water required to operate hydrogen generators with a capacity of 40 GW – water is already in short supply in many European regions today.
For a while, green hydrogen was considered a key technology for a climate-neutral future in Europe. Nevertheless, experts estimate that only around one-fifth of the projects announced in the EU will actually be operational by 2030. Production capacity could reach around twelve gigawatts by then – the EU target is 40 gigawatts.
In view of a hydrogen future that has already been missed, it is high time for the European Union to finally replace its own narrow-mindedness with pragmatic realism – not only when it comes to hydrogen, but also with regard to the ill-conceived Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the clearly failed EU Green Deal.
Sad record: EU stainless steel slab imports at all-time high
Meanwhile, we can only speak of a sad record of deliberate circumvention of existing market protection measures in favour of multinational European stainless steel manufacturers. This is anti-competitive behaviour that, against its better knowledge, is being deliberately ignored by the European Commission.
EU overprotective on stainless steel from Indonesia
Since 2019, at the request of domestic mills, the European Commission has conducted several anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and anti-circumvention proceedings against stainless steel imports from Indonesia and imposed corresponding measures. Due to alleged circumvention measures on existing market protection, countries such as Turkey, Vietnam and Taiwan were also subject to similar penalties as Indonesia. In addition, domestic mills and their lobby association EUROFER never tire of portraying stainless steel from Indonesia as extremely CO2-intensive.
EU stainless steel mills actively circumvent existing trade defence measures
However, EU stainless steel mills have been importing large quantities of stainless steel slabs from Indonesia for years, thereby actively circumventing existing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures. According to the figures currently available and extrapolated to the whole year, a new all-time record could be reached in 2025 with over 240,000 tonnes (Source: EUROSTAT, own calculations). Imports of Indonesian stainless steel slabs had already exceeded the previous record year of 2021 in May 2025.
By way of comparison, in 2019, total imports of less than 13,000 tonnes of stainless steel hot-rolled coil originating in Indonesia were sufficient to justify anti-dumping measures by the EU.
Who are these importers? Industry insiders now have two names in mind. One of them played a key role in introducing measures against Turkey, Vietnam and Taiwan, while the other reacts extremely sensitively to news reports that could be perceived as negative in any way. The plant in question has frequently been in the headlines.
However, to be clear: we have no problem with imports in general and consider them absolutely necessary. But we believe there should be a fair level playing field for all parties involved and an end to all market protection measures.
Latest news:
- Missing CBAM values: EU Parliament demands clarification
- Section 232 tariffs on copper: Based on steel and aluminium
- Copper imports now also affected by US Section 232 tariffs
We at the Gerber Group have been trading in stainless steel worldwide for over 20 years. We are your experts when it comes to purchasing, import, logistics and services. Information is a vital part of this. Because only then can you and we make the right decisions. Do you have any questions? Contact us now.
Disclaimer: Many things here represent our opinion. Others are information from the Internet. We can therefore never claim to be correct or complete. And never base a business decision solely on the news you receive from us.
