This agreement is a positive step in establishing a global level playing field and ending global overcapacity ... metal workers call for further international action to decarbonise the metals sector, while ensuring a Just Transition for all workers and regions involved.

The recent announcement that the US will from 1 December 2021 no longer apply Section 232 tariffs on historical levels of EU steel and aluminium is good news for European metal workers who have long opposed these unfair trade measures. The EU’s metal sector continues to focus on low-carbon and specialised steel and aluminium which are in high demand in the US and are important in the move to the decarbonisation of the sectors.

In light of this announcement, the EU confirmed that they will end their rebalancing measures which have been in place since 2018 and both parties will pause their respective WTO cases against the other.

Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll Europe Deputy General Secretary, said:

‘’This cooling down of trade tensions between the EU and US is good news for workers on both sides of the pond. A trade war benefited no one and European trade unions look forward to establishing a positive trading relationship with the US based on low-carbon products.’’

As well as agreeing to establishing new trade provisions, the EU and the US also announced a Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminium. The Agreement, which is open to all ‘’like-minded economies’’, will focus on promoting trade in low-carbon steel and aluminium, ensuring domestic policies that encourage the production of green steel and aluminium and ending non-market practices which contribute to non-market oriented capacity.

Judith Kirton‐Darling added:

‘’European workers support the decarbonisation of the steel and aluminium sectors, in fact, this was a key demand in our European Steel Action Plan and we continue to demand increased investment to fully decarbonise European production, with workers are the heart of the transition.

This agreement is a positive step in establishing a global level playing field and ending global overcapacity, both of which are needed to truly decarbonise the international steel and aluminium sectors. At the start of COP26, metal workers call for further international action to decarbonise the metals sector, while ensuring a Just Transition for all workers and regions involved.’’

Contact: Elspeth Hathaway (policy adviser)