Germany’s main steel recycling and trade associations jointly appealed to the European Commission to reconsider proposed restrictions on steel and scrap exports. The appeal criticized measures that could interfere with recycling markets, including the new waste transport regulation, the Critical Raw Materials Act, and the European Action Plan for Steel and Metals. The associations argued that these initiatives could impose political restrictions or effectively block scrap exports to third countries.

About 59% of steel in the EU is produced from scrap, with several thousand companies operating in Germany alone. Market participants said restrictive policies signal that investments in modern processing technologies are risky. Besides, limiting exports could weaken Europe’s competitiveness and increase long-term dependence.