EU Commission Initiates Safeguard Investigation on Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel Imports
Summary
The European Commission has initiated a safeguard investigation into imports of grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES), including laminations and cores, from third countries, particularly China. This follows difficulties faced by EU manufacturers due to high import pressure and global overcapacities. The investigation will assess potential serious injury to the EU industry and the Union's interest, with provisional measures possible within months.
What changed
The European Commission, through DG Trade and Economic Security, has launched a safeguard investigation concerning imports of grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES), including further processed laminations and cores. This action is prompted by significant import pressure, particularly from China, which is reportedly causing serious difficulties for EU-based GOES manufacturers. The investigation aims to determine if increased imports have caused or threaten to cause serious injury to the EU industry and if safeguard measures are in the Union's interest. Existing anti-dumping measures are deemed insufficient as market prices have risen above minimum import price levels.
If the investigation confirms injury and Union interest, the Commission may propose safeguard measures, subject to a qualified majority vote by EU Member States. Provisional measures could be imposed within 4-5 months, with definitive measures following within 9-11 months. The interests of EU transformer manufacturers, as end-users of GOES, will also be assessed. Companies involved in the import or production of GOES and related products should monitor the investigation's progress and prepare for potential new trade defence measures that could impact market access and pricing.
What to do next
- Monitor the progress of the safeguard investigation initiated by the European Commission.
- Assess potential impacts of proposed safeguard measures on import costs and supply chains for GOES and related products.
- Review existing trade defence measures and their effectiveness in light of current market conditions.
Source document (simplified)
Grain-oriented electrical sheets are a steel product used in electrical equipment such as power transformers, which enable electricity to be transmitted from power plants to end users (such as factories, shops or private households). GOES are therefore critically important for the security of the European Union’s energy infrastructure.
EU-based manufacturers of GOES are experiencing unprecedented difficulties, faced with high import pressure from third countries – and particularly from China – that is in turn fuelled by growing global overcapacities.
If the investigation confirms that the EU industry is suffering serious injury because of increased imports, the Commission may propose safeguard measures – if considered to be in the Union’s interest. The interests of EU transformer makers (the end users of GOES) will also be carefully assessed in this respect.
The imposition of safeguard measures would need to be supported by a qualified majority of EU Member States. Provisional measures may be imposed after four or five months, should the investigation confirm that the conditions to do so are met. If provisional measures are imposed, then definitive measures must follow within 200 days, but no later than normally nine months and at the most eleven months after initiation.
The scope of the current investigation also includes laminations and cores, which are obtained after further processing GOES and incorporated into power transformers.
GOES are already subject to anti-dumping measures on imports from five producing countries (China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States), and they are not covered by the steel safeguard or the post-safeguard proposal on steel imports. The anti-dumping measures currently in force consist of specific duties linked to a minimum import price per tonne (MIP). However, over time, the market price of GOES has evolved to be above the MIPs, so the MIPs no longer provide sufficient relief to the EU industry.
For more information
Details
Publication date 27 March 2026 Author Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security Location Brussels Country or region
- China
Trade topics
- Safeguards
- Trade defence
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