The European metal and steel industry has once again delivered a clear message in Brussels: Europe needs firm, coherent and effective industrial policies to keep manufacturing within the European Union and ensure fair competition with third countries.
On Monday, 7 September 2026, representatives of companies, workers and organisations from the European metal sector gathered outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels as part of the “European Convoy for Industrial Competitiveness”, an initiative promoted by EUROMETAL to call for urgent measures in defence of European industry.
The protest brought together industrial stakeholders from different European countries and focused on a growing concern: the pressure faced by European industrial value chains due to increasing imports from markets operating under different regulatory, environmental and production conditions. According to published reports, the sector has warned that more than 100,000 direct jobs in steel trade could be at risk, with a potential impact on millions of jobs across the wider European industrial value chain.
Fair competition for a strong European industry
At Estamode, we share the need to move towards a European framework that protects industrial competitiveness without giving up on sustainability, innovation and decarbonisation goals.
European industry has been meeting demanding environmental, energy and regulatory requirements for years. However, when imported products are not subject to equivalent conditions, an imbalance is created that directly affects the ability of European manufacturers to compete, invest and keep production in Europe.
This is not about asking for advantages. It is about calling for clear rules, traceability and fair conditions for all market players. European industrial competitiveness needs a framework that recognises those who manufacture under strict standards and prevents regulatory pressure from encouraging relocation.
The role of CBAM and its extension across the value chain
One of the key points of the mobilisation was the need to extend the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to finished products containing steel and aluminium.
CBAM is an important step in addressing carbon leakage in raw materials and basic products. However, its current scope still leaves out a significant part of the industrial value chain. This allows certain transformed products to enter the European market without being subject to requirements equivalent to those faced by European manufacturers.
This creates a clear risk: competitive pressure may shift further downstream, precisely towards the sectors that transform steel and aluminium into higher added-value components, solutions and industrial products. In this context, Estamode has already joined the call for an effective and broad extension of CBAM to steel- and aluminium-intensive industries, with the aim of ensuring a level playing field across the entire value chain.
European manufacturing, industrial autonomy and the future
For Estamode, defending European manufacturing is not only a sector-specific issue. It is a necessary condition to preserve industrial autonomy, technological capacity and skilled employment in Europe.
As an industrial company linked to steel transformation and the manufacture of components for electric motors and generators, Estamode is part of a strategic value chain for sectors such as electrification, mobility, energy and industrial applications. For decades, the company has worked with a vision based on precision, innovation, efficiency and adaptation to the real needs of each project.
Maintaining a strong industrial base in Europe requires more than technology. It requires fair rules, regulatory certainty, traceability of material origin and a clear commitment to Made in Europe in areas where European industry can deliver quality, reliability and long-term value.
A clear position: competing on equal terms
The mobilization in Brussels reflects a concern shared by a large part of the European industrial ecosystem. The transition towards a more sustainable economy must be accompanied by policies that allow companies to compete on equal terms and continue investing in Europe.
Estamode supports a European industry capable of innovating, manufacturing and growing under demanding standards. But for this model to remain viable, rules must be clear and applied fairly to all products competing in the European market.
Protecting European industrial competitiveness does not mean slowing down the transition. It means making it possible through a solid, responsible and future-ready manufacturing base.