The European Union introduced new steel import limits and customs rules for low-value parcels on July 1 as trade talks with China continue over widening economic tensions.
The measures are part of the EU’s broader effort to protect domestic industries while addressing a record goods trade deficit with China, which reached about €360 billion ($410 billion) in 2025, according to Eurostat.
The European Commission replaced its previous steel safeguard system with a new regime allowing 18.3 million metric tonnes of steel imports annually without tariffs. Imports above those quotas will face a 50 percent duty across 26 steel product categories.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a July 1 statement on X that the parcel changes are about “restoring fairness” for businesses and strengthening consumer protection, as the bloc seeks to curb a surge in low-value imports….
EU Imposes New Steel Limits and €3 Parcel Fees Amid China Trade Tensions
