On July 18, the European Commission imposed provisional safeguards on 23 categories of steel products, according to Fastener + Fixing Magazine. The measures, which do not include fasteners, impose quotas for each category. When these quotas are exhausted, a 25% tariff will be imposed on imports.

“The Commission has identified 23 of the product categories for which it deems the situation as critical enough to warrant provisional measures,” writes Fastener + Fixing executive editor Phil Matten. “Fastener CN codes are not included in the list, although carbon steel and stainless steel wire rod and bar is included, which may have knock-on effects for fastener products produced within the EU, including threaded rod.”

The provisional measures, which can remain in force for 200 days, impose quotas irrespective of the originating country, according to Fastener + Fixing. The continuing investigation will consider whether quotas should be allocated by exporting country.

“The Commission identifies an increasing import trend to the EU prior to the United States applying Section 232 tariffs on steel imports,” writes Matten. “The imposition of those tariff further increased the potential for import growth as the result of product previously destined for the U.S. market being diverted to the EU market.”

The regulation exempts the EEA member countries ( Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), as well as such developing economies as China, Brazil, India and Turkey.

The full text of Regulation 2018/2013, which includes an Annex listing the affected products, can be downloaded from: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2018/july/tradoc_157125.prov.en.L181-2018.pdf.