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Representatives of Europe's steel industry held a demonstration in Brussels on Monday, arguing that cheap products imported from outside the European Union create unfair competition.
Industry representatives, led by the European Federation of Steel, Tube and Metal Distribution and Trade (EUROMETAL), gathered in Brussels' Schuman Square, home to EU institutions, under the theme "Keep Production in Europe."
Protesters carried banners reading "Stop cheap imports," "Protect production in the EU," "Rest in peace, EU steel demand," and "Rest in peace, European factories."
Activists carried 10 symbolic coffins reading "Rest in peace" around the EU Commission building to draw attention to lost production capacity and jobs in Europe.
Protesters said EU steel plants are struggling due to cheap imports.
EUROMETAL argues that European manufacturers bear high costs to comply with the EU's environmental and climate rules, while some products from outside the bloc are not subject to the same requirements.
Steel imported into the EU is subject to various rules under quotas, trade defense measures and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
However, when steel is processed outside the EU into machinery, automotive parts or other finished products, those goods can access the EU market without facing the same rules.
Industry representatives say this gives imported products a cost advantage, weakens the competitiveness of European manufacturers and could push production outside the EU.
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