The trade bloc is also reducing its quota of tariff-free steel imports, as trade tensions mount with Beijing. The EU’s goal is to reduce its near-$400 billion annual trade deficit with China. However, the move could hurt other steel exporters with whom the EU has solid relations, including the UK, Ukraine, and Japan. Brussels isn’t the first to make such a move: the Trump administration introduced a global steel tariff last year.
Hard Numbers
The EU steels itself for tariffs
Farida Dowidar
By Zac WeiszJune 30, 2026
Zac Weisz
Zac reports on global affairs, covering everything from battles between judicial branches and political leaders, to conflicts in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. With the Trump administration keen to alter the world order, though, there’s a heavy emphasis right now on US politics – an area with which he is intimately familiar. Prior to joining GZERO, Zac was a senior national politics correspondent at National Journal, where he covered the 2024 presidential election from its inception to the dramatic finish, as well as major congressional actions during the Biden administration. Prior to journalism, Zac worked as an economic analyst for Oxford Economics, calculating the impact of various tax policies, and of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Born in London, he currently resides in New York City, where you can find him playing football (the original version) or watching it on television while attempting to cook up a storm.
