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The European Commission has reconfigured its import barometer, the tool used to monitor import trends into the EU internal market, in response to growing imbalances in global trade. First launched in June 2025 as an import surveillance tool to protect European industry from sudden surges in imports linked to tariff-driven trade diversion, the mechanism has now been remodelled to better capture longer-term, sustained increases in imports and their systemic impact on EU industrial production.

The adjustment reflects a shift in the trade landscape: while concerns over tariff-driven diversion have eased somewhat, European industry is increasingly affected by imports linked to industrial overcapacities, often supported by state-led policies. Drawing on Eurostat data, the reconfigured barometer will now be updated on a quarterly basis and take on a more aggregate nature, aiming to improve collective understanding of the scale and nature of sustained import pressure on specific products and sectors.

The Commission has reiterated its call on European companies to contribute market intelligence and data to support these monitoring efforts. Combining the barometer with industry input is intended to help identify which sectors are suffering injury from sustained import increases and may require protection, enabling targeted, proportionate and timely action where necessary.

In parallel, the Commission has published a guide to using safeguards, complementing existing guidance on anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations.

Source: DG TRADE