The European Commission introduced provisional safeguard measures on imports of grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES) and certain immediate downstream products, notably laminations and cores, through Regulation 2026/2133 dated 18 September 2026. Federacciai said it will publish weekly monitoring updates on the tariff-rate quota volumes listed in Annex II of the measure.
According to the information published by Federacciai, the products covered by the safeguard are classified under customs codes 7225 11 00 and 7226 11 00 for GOES. For downstream items, the scope includes steel laminations and cores, including stacked or wound forms, under code 8504.9013, also when incorporated into transformers classified under a series of 8504 customs codes.
The measure is structured as a combination of tariff-rate quotas and minimum import prices, or MIPs. Two MIP levels are set for each category: one applies while quota is still available and another applies once the quota has been exhausted. The duty payable is calculated by comparing the relevant MIP with the purchase price of the material; if the purchase price is above the MIP, no duty is due.
Federacciai also notes that products originating in Liechtenstein, Norway, Kenya and Ukraine are excluded from the scope of the provisional duties. For imports from developing countries, the association refers to Annex III.2: for GOES, imports from China, with a country-specific quota, and Brazil are covered, while for downstream laminations and cores the measure applies to China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, each with its own country-specific quota.
Quota access is managed on a first-come, first-served basis, making volume tracking relevant for importers and industrial users. Federacciai further highlights that, under Article 6 of Regulation 2026/2133, anti-dumping duties on magnetic sheet introduced by Regulation 2022/58 for certain origins are not collected during the period of the provisional safeguard measures because they are lower than the provisional safeguard duties.
The measure is stated to be in force from 25 September to 26 February 2026, for 155 days. At the end of that period, the Commission is to decide whether definitive measures will be adopted. In this context, Federacciai’s weekly quota updates provide a practical reference for procurement planning.
