• •The EU has reduced its total duty-free steel import quota by 50% for most global suppliers.
• •Twelve nations, including the UK, secured a smaller reduction of roughly 33%, allowing them to maintain higher export volumes.
• •It remains unclear how the allocation of these quotas will be distributed among specific steel mills and if the UK will face further trade friction as domestic demand fluctuates.

The European Union has halved its duty-free steel import quota to shield domestic producers from a global supply glut. While most nations face the full 50% reduction, twelve trading partners with existing free trade agreements—including the UK—received a preferential cap cut of only one-third. The disparity creates a two-tiered system that favors long-term partners but restricts total market access compared to previous years. Whether these specific quota levels will be adjusted following quarterly performance reviews is not yet confirmed, leaving manufacturers to navigate a more constrained supply chain.