EU imports surge by 35.09% in November

22 January 2026: In November, EU imports of finished steel products from third countries increased by 35.09% year on year, reaching 2.4 million tonnes (Mt), as buyers anticipated domestic price hikes ahead of the introduction of CBAM regulations in 2026.

Shipments from Indonesia In November surged to 457 thousand tonnes (kt), bringing year-to-date figures to 2.3 Mt, up 248.99% year on year. Malaysian suppliers sold 96 kt of finished steel for November delivery, with imports totaling 456 kt over the first eleven months, representing a 154.37% annual increase. Deliveries from other major markets, such as China, Ukraine, South Korea, and Turkey, also rose notably during January–November. The United Arab Emirates exported 54 kt of finished steel in November, lifting year-to-date shipments to 320 kt.
Meanwhile, shipments from Egypt, Japan, and Vietnam declined due to recently introduced trade measures affecting certain steel products.
Overall, in January–November 2025, deliveries from non-EU countries increased by 5.87% compared with the same period in 2024, reaching 32.2 Mt.

Finished steel imports into the United Kingdom in November remained subdued, totalling 401 kt, a 14.11% decline compared with the same month in 2024. Over the first eleven months of the year, deliveries increased by 4.51%, reaching 5.5 Mt, despite weaker performance in major end-use sectors such as automotive and construction. However, car manufacturing for the domestic market recorded a strong year-on-year increase of 46.9% in November.