Spanish Unesid insists on strengthening protection of European steel industry

This is a new effective tool for trade protection and energy cost reduction

Spanish steelmakers are calling on the EU to strengthen protection for the sector and help offset high energy costs. This is stated in the report of the Spanish steel association Unesid.

The appeal was made during a specialized meeting in Brussels at the end of May.

The Spanish steel industry notes that there is an urgent need for a new effective trade remedy that will also cover products at lower levels of the value chain.

In addition, Unesid believes that it is extremely important that Europe bans the export of scrap to countries that do not meet EU environmental standards. The availability of this raw material is key to the decarbonization of the steel industry.

Representatives of the Spanish steel industry also emphasized the importance of having a competitive and predictable energy price, with temporary assistance to compensate for cost overruns during the transition to renewable sources.

Unesid believes that European funds should promote the decarbonization of industry with realistic and cost-effective targets. The association advocates for the introduction of sustainability and resilience criteria in public procurement to create leading markets for low-carbon products, progressive incentives for the use of green steel in key sectors such as automotive, construction or household appliances.

“Unesid continues to work to ensure that the environmental transition is compatible with Europe’s competitiveness, employment and industrial and technological autonomy,” the association said in a statement.

As GMK Center reported earlier, in January-April 2025, Spanish steelmakers increased steel production by 6.1% compared to the same period in 2024, to 4.32 million tons. Thus, the country is ranked 16th in the global ranking of steel producing countries (69) by the WorldSteel Association. In April, the country’s steelmakers produced 1.13 million tons of steel, up 0.7% year-on-year, and in line with the previous month.