Vucic: EU steel import tariffs to hit Serbia, I will discuss that with von der Leyen

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday a proposed increase of EU steel import tariffs would hit Serbia and put its Chinese-owned Smederevo steel mill in a difficult position.

"We will hold discussions, I will also ask (European Commission President) Ursula von der Leyen when she comes here to at least lift the tariffs for us as a (EU membership) candidate country if she can, and we will accept quotas, or vice versa," Vucic said at an extraordinary press conference.

He said the Smederevo steel mill had a 5,000-strong workforce but that a total of 20,000 people depended on it.

"That is a huge problem both for us and our Chinese partners," Vucic said, adding that a reduction of EU steel import quotas had been expected and that Serbia could have handled it.

"But now, additional tariffs are to be introduced. No one of us can handle that," he said.

He said the European automotive industry was unable to handle this due to competition from China and that all carmakers had protested the move.

"That way, you are protecting the European steel industry and steel mills, but you are killing the European automotive industry," he added.

Vucic said that, besides Serbia, the UK, Turkey and some other European countries were the hardest hit by the tariff increase.