Key Developments
On 18 September 2026, the European Commission said EU demand for trade defence action stayed strong in 2025, with new investigations focused especially on unfair practices affecting chemical and steel producers.
Key Statistics
- 32 new EU trade defence investigations were initiated in 2025
- 26 definitive EU trade defence measures were imposed in 2025
- 232 total EU trade defence measures were in place by the reporting period
- 637,000 EU manufacturing jobs were protected by trade defence measures
Main Body
On 18 September 2026, the European Commission reported that demand for EU trade defence action remained high in 2025, as the institution opened new investigations and imposed measures intended to counter unfair trade practices affecting EU industry.
The European Commission said it initiated 32 investigations and imposed 26 definitive measures, with chemical and steel sectors highlighted among the main areas of concern. The Commission also said it had 232 measures in place and had launched an import surveillance task force to monitor harmful trade diversion and assess whether existing measures remained effective.
The announcement followed related EU trade scrutiny in other sectors. On 17 September 2026, the European Parliament recorded a written question from MEP Magdalena Adamowicz asking the Commission about the absence of an enhanced safeguard mechanism for fishery and aquaculture products under the EU-Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement.
The development mattered because EU trade defence policy directly affected industrial competitiveness, employment protection and the bloc’s response to distorted import competition. The European Commission linked the measures to the protection of about 637,000 manufacturing jobs, underscoring the practical stakes for producers and workers across the EU single market.
