The United States Energy Information Administration said that “Its heavy dependence on imports and exports, the European steel industry strongly supports the liberalization of international trade under the umbrella of the WTO. But the EU is the most open major market in the world, while non-EU steel producing countries use many kinds of trade restrictions or distortions to give artificial advantages to their own industries. These include a wide range of government interventions, including import barriers such as tariffs, or restrictive licensing export incentives such as VAT rebates or the zeroing of export taxes and subsidization. “Buy national steel” campaigns have also become popular.”

EIA said that meanwhile measures to overcome the economic crisis have not, as agreed by the G20 in November 2008, led to a moratorium in the establishment of new trade barriers on the contrary there has been a dramatic increase in them, most noticeably in the steel sector.

EIA further added that “More than ever, there is a particular need now for fair international competition and a level playing field for the European steel industry as EU steel companies individually bring output into line with reduced demand. The EU must provide a level playing field, taking firm action against dumped and subsidized products. European trade defense laws and practices are among the most liberal in the world and must be used to their fullest extent if the EU steel industry and, as a result, the European economy as a whole are not to suffer potentially irreparable damage.”