Industry group Eurometal warns that rapid import growth of steel-intensive products and downstream carbon leakage threaten European jobs, investment, manufacturing capacity, and strategic autonomy, with new rules likely to affect Portugal.

Eurometal cautions that derivatives of steel and steel-intensive manufactured goods may enter Europe without equivalent obligations on commercial, origin, carbon, and regulatory grounds, risking European industry and sovereignty.

Europe’s concrete industrial backbone includes about 100,000 direct steel trade jobs, 300,000 direct steel production jobs, and roughly 13.6 million downstream jobs in value chains tied to steel."},{

Portugal’s export context shows goods exports reaching €79.3 billion in 2024, with the metal transforming sector as a key pillar exposed to energy costs and global competitiveness.

Eurometal notes the restricted list of critical steel derivatives grew from 3.774 million tonnes in 2010 to 8.050 million tonnes in 2024, with growth in rail technology, electrical machinery, automotive components, metal furniture, and prefabricated constructions.

EU plans to cut tariff-free steel import quotas by 47% to 18.3 million tonnes annually and to double tariffs on imports above quota and on steel products; the proposal passed the European Parliament and moves to trilogue.

In Europe, the metalworking and metal engineering sector surpassed €44 billion in 2023, employing about 260,000 people, while the broader European metal sector includes 863,000 companies, 13.5 million workers, and €4.1 trillion in revenue.

Portuguese industry leaders urge policymakers to consider strategic and economic impacts on Portugal and wider Europe.

The Brussels protest frames the issue as defending European industry and jobs, calling for a credible ecological pact, strategic autonomy, and secure supply chains.

Led by Eurometal, European metal industry groups plan a protest on September 7 in Brussels to protest unfair competition, rising imports of steel-intensive products, downstream carbon leakage, and the risk of industrial decline.

Portuguese industry leaders warn Europe’s industrial policy remains asymmetric due to high energy costs, regulatory uncertainty, and limited fair trade and financing access.

Protests in Brussels will feature a convoy of trucks converging on the capital to demand fair trade and resilient, climate-conscious value chains within Europe.