The protest is being organized in defense of European companies that manufacture and process steel products and are facing growing competition from imports produced outside the European Union.
Piotr Sikorski, president of the Polish Union of Steel Distributors and Processors, told Polish Radio that the protesters want to highlight what they see as a contradiction in the EU’s current trade policy.
"Europe is increasingly protecting its own steel from imports, while at the same time allowing a massive inflow of finished products made from steel produced outside the EU," Sikorski said.
According to the organizers, this creates an uneven playing field for European manufacturers and processors, which must compete with imported finished goods while facing higher production and regulatory costs within the EU.
The protest will begin in Brussels on Monday morning, with a convoy of trucks travelling through the city. Following the demonstration, representatives of companies and industry associations will deliver a joint statement to the European Commission.
The statement has been prepared by EUROMETAL, the European Federation of Steel, Tube and Metal Distributors, which represents companies operating across the European steel and metals supply chain.
The protesters are expected to call on European policymakers to ensure that measures aimed at protecting the EU steel industry also take into account manufacturers and processors that rely on steel as a raw material.
(aj)
SOURCE: IAR