Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced Germany’s support for new European Union proposals to increase tariffs on foreign steel, aiming to protect Europe’s struggling steel sector from cheap Chinese imports.
The plan would raise tariffs to 50% and sharply cut import quotas.
Merz said the move was “a step in the right direction,” stressing that German steel producers face mounting pressure from low-cost Chinese exports and high energy prices since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Germany remains Europe’s largest steel producer, but output has fallen up to 15% below 2022 levels.
