Joint ETUC – industriAll Europe statement on the Trump administration’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium. T
Retaliatory measures will not be enough to save the jobs that could be wiped out by the Trump administration’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium. The ETUC and industriAll Europe are calling on the EU institutions for immediate action to support the workers impacted by the tariffs and to equip itself with a SURE-stye job protection mechanism coupled with a permanent investment facility up to the task of prioritising quality jobs in a volatile geopolitical environment.
Protecting the workforce is crucial to the success not only of the steel and aluminium sector but for Europe’s industrial base. The support needed to secure EU’s steel and aluminium production capacity must be accompanied by measures targeted at saving jobs. Further trade measures are also needed to shield local production from unfair practices that will otherwise result in the dumping of steel and aluminium onto the European market, flooding domestic demand.
The ETUC is concerned that these tariffs are only the start. If the USA were to apply tariffs of 20% on all EU goods exports, the European Trade Union Institute estimates that up to an additional 750,000 jobs, heavily concentrated in manufacturing, would be at risk. The Commission must stand ready, alongside trade-policy measures, to take steps to expand EU demand to absorb the shock and to facilitate EU firms accessing other export markets.
The changes inherent to the current volatile geopolitical context require the EU to equip itself with new tools. To this end, the EU must prioritise the creation of a pro-active European industry policy supported by investments with social conditionalities, a SURE-style job protection mechanism and a permanent investment facility.
Claes-Mikael Stahl, ETUC Deputy General Secretary, said:
“In the current turbulent global context, situations that require urgent intervention to support workers are no longer the exception, but the rule.
“The EU must adapt by equipping itself with a permanent investment capacity to anticipate change and take action to protect and create quality jobs.
“It is clear that immediate measures to support the steel and aluminium sector are urgently needed but it would be a grave mistake for these to be blank cheques to industry.
“Public support must be made conditional on measures that protect the livelihoods of those in the eye of the storm.
“The risk of losing capacity in critical infrastructures sectors – not least for the green transition – is very real. EU’s strategic autonomy in areas critical to its geopolitical positioning that are at stake.”
Judith Kirton-Darling industriAll Europe General Secretary, said:
“The US tariffs on steel and aluminum pose a significant challenge to European industry and workers, disrupting supply chains and creating uncertainty.
“This situation underscores the importance of Europe taking charge of its own industrial future. Strategic autonomy and economic security must be priorities, not just aspirations.
“The EU needs a strong, coordinated response to protect jobs, support our industries, and strengthen our manufacturing base.
“Investing in European industry and supporting its workers is essential to securing our long-term stability.
“Today’s decision in Washington makes the forthcoming EU steel and basic metals action plan all the more important. It must be ambitious enough to respond to the challenges faced by the sectors and our wider industrial fabric.”