After US duty hike, India now faces EU heat on steel quota

India, which is under "other countries" category, must share a pooled quota of 12,500 tonnes

- Dhirendra Kumar

The European Union (EU) has put India's individual quota on hold and placed it under a "pooled quota" for exporting certain kinds of steel products to the 27-nation bloc, dealing a double whammy to a sector already reeling from America's 50% tariff.

The latest move is meant to correct imbalances in the current quota system by restoring separate duty-free country-specific quotas for major exporters like Ukraine, UK, Türkiye and Korea.

However, countries like India, which fall under an "other countries" category, must share a pooled quota of around 12,500 tonnes with others, including China and Vietnam among others.

The EU's notification was submitted to the Committee on Safeguards at World Trade Organization (WTO) on Wednesday.

The proposed changes will come into effect from 1 July and remain in effect till 30 June 2026.

This shared quota, known as the "residual quota," applies to 'product category 17', which covers "angles, shapes and sections of iron or non-alloy steel."