European steel exports to the United States have fallen sharply since Washington imposed steep tariffs on metal imports, according to industry data released in Brussels on Friday. The decline highlights growing strain in transatlantic trade and renewed pressure for a fair agreement between the two sides
The drop follows sweeping duties introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump, who last year ordered 50-percent tariffs on steel and aluminium entering the United States. The move formed part of a wider wave of tariffs aimed at reshaping global trade relationships.
Figures cited by the European steel association Eurofer show that EU steel shipments to the U.S. fell by about 30 percent in the second half of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier. The group said the decline was directly linked to the American tariffs, which have made European metal less competitive in the U.S. market.
Tensions deepened in August, when Washington extended the duties to hundreds of manufactured products containing steel or aluminium. European producers of machinery, vehicles and other metal-heavy goods now fear further losses as their exports become more expensive.
“The figures show how urgent it is that any EU-U.S. trade deal be fair, balanced and enforceable,” Eurofer said, urging negotiators to address metals tariffs directly. So far, the United States has refused to cut the duties, instead pressing Brussels to soften its digital-market rules—an exchange the European Union considers unacceptable.
Facing mounting pressure at home, the EU moved in October to protect its own steel sector by doubling tariffs on certain foreign imports. These safeguards must be renewed or replaced by June 2026.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament’s trade committee is preparing to vote on implementing a broader EU-U.S. trade arrangement. EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič has urged lawmakers to approve it quickly, hoping to steady relations before further negotiations with member states.
