Are stainless steel tubes covered by this quota?

Yes, all stainless tubes are covered — seamless and welded alike — under CN codes 7304 11 00, 7304 22 00, 7304 24 00, 7304 41 00, 7304 49 83, 7304 49 85 and 7304 49 89 for seamless, and heading 7306 for welded. Copper and nickel alloys are not covered by this quota.

Is the quota the same for every origin country?

No: quotas are allocated by country and by quarter under rules specific to the regulation. The precise allocation for Thailand, India and Germany — our partner mills' origins — has not been verified line by line in Annex II as of 15 August 2026; these detailed allocations will be checked and published here once confirmed against the full text.

Does this regime also replace CBAM?

No, these are two separate texts that apply in parallel: Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 covers quotas and duties, CBAM covers the carbon cost of imports. See the dedicated CBAM page.

Where can I check the detailed country-by-country quota allocation?

On EUR-Lex and on the European Commission trade website, which publish the complementary implementing acts as they are adopted.

STEEL REGULATION

Steel quotas and safeguard: the regime in force since July 2026

Since 1 July 2026, Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 replaces the 2019 steel safeguard: a new annual tariff-rate quota of 18,345,922 tonnes, above which the duty rises to 50%. The choice of origin and order timing directly affects your landed price.

What replaces the 2019 steel safeguard?

Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 of 17 June 2026, applicable since 1 July 2026, replacing Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/159, which expired on 30 June 2026. This is no longer a temporary safeguard measure: it is a permanent tariff-rate quota regime.

Source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, Article 14 and Recital 5 · verified 15 August 2026

What is the duty-free quota volume?

18,345,922 tonnes per year across all Annex I product categories, allocated by quarter and by origin — a reduction of approximately 47% compared with the 2024 reference system, according to the European Commission. This figure is an average across all covered categories, not a uniform cut applied category by category.

Source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, Annex II · verified 15 August 2026 Source: European Commission (DG Trade, Access2Markets) — new EU safeguards on steel imports from third countries · verified 15 August 2026

What do you pay above your quota?

A 50% ad valorem duty on the out-of-quota share, up from 25% under the previous safeguard — the regulation justifies the increase by reference to duty levels applied to steel in other major markets.

Source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, Recital 16 · verified 15 August 2026

Is this regime permanent?

It carries no fixed expiry date like the 2019 safeguard did. The Commission must, however, assess by 30 June 2028 whether the Melt & Pour country of origin should become the basis for quota access — a structural review at that date, not an automatic sunset.

Source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, Article 4 and related recitals · verified 15 August 2026

Why does the 2028 deadline matter for your purchasing strategy?

Today, access to the duty-free quota is allocated by declared country of origin at import. If the Commission switches to the Melt & Pour country of melt as the basis by 30 June 2028, the origin of the raw material — not just where it was processed — will determine your quota access. Sourcing across several mills, with several possible melt origins for the same grade, then becomes a risk-management lever, not just a lead-time or price question.

Source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, Article 4 · verified 15 August 2026

What SPS provides you

We follow these texts closely because they determine where you can buy and at what real cost. Our European supply agreements and partner mills (Thailand, India, Germany) give several possible origins for the same grade.

When one origin falls outside the duty-free quota for your product category, we tell you before you order — material price does not tell the whole landed-cost story.

This documented plurality of origins (country of melt included) is also what protects you if the Commission shifts, by 2028, the basis for quota calculation from the country of processing to the country of melt.

Frequently asked questions

Are stainless steel tubes covered by this quota?: Yes, all stainless tubes are covered — seamless and welded alike — under CN codes 7304 11 00, 7304 22 00, 7304 24 00, 7304 41 00, 7304 49 83, 7304 49 85 and 7304 49 89 for seamless, and heading 7306 for welded. Copper and nickel alloys are not covered by this quota.; Source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, Annex I · verified 15 August 2026
Is the quota the same for every origin country?: No: quotas are allocated by country and by quarter under rules specific to the regulation. The precise allocation for Thailand, India and Germany — our partner mills' origins — has not been verified line by line in Annex II as of 15 August 2026; these detailed allocations will be checked and published here once confirmed against the full text.
Does this regime also replace CBAM?: No, these are two separate texts that apply in parallel: Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 covers quotas and duties, CBAM covers the carbon cost of imports. See the dedicated CBAM page.
Where can I check the detailed country-by-country quota allocation?: On EUR-Lex and on the European Commission trade website, which publish the complementary implementing acts as they are adopted.

Guillaume Roché

Partner

Published 15 August 2026 · Updated 15 August 2026