EU Ambassador to South Korea Ugo Astuto said in a June 26 interview that ongoing consultations on new EU steel tariffs will yield a productive outcome reflecting concerns of both sides.
Ambassador Astuto explained that the EU plans to tighten steel safeguard measures from July 1, reducing tariff-free import quotas and imposing 50 percent tariffs on excess volumes.
During the early June summit in Brussels, President Lee Jae Myung requested favorable consideration for South Korean steelmakers. Astuto rejected protectionism claims, noting the EU remains one of the world's most open markets.
He warned that deepening Russia-North Korea military ties heighten proliferation risks on the Korean Peninsula. After the summit, South Korea and the EU issued a joint statement condemning the cooperation and agreed to launch negotiations on a bilateral information security pact.
