Monitoring trade diversion

Where such trade diversion takes place at significant levels, the EU industry concerned is faced with an increase of imports from other countries, possibly at low price levels. The consequences of such trade diversion could be very detrimental to EU industry and to the EU internal market. 

As a result, on 7 April 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the creation of an import surveillance task force. The purpose of this task force is to inform decisions and actions to protect the EU internal market. To ensure any action taken to address harmful imports into the EU is fact- and evidence-based, the task force will:

• draw on the results of an automated dashboard, based on data from the customs surveillance system, which monitors import trends closely, and;
• complement these findings with relevant information received from:
  • EU industry
  • Member States, and;
  • experts.

The dashboard results are updated monthly.

Input from EU industry

The dashboard results identify goods that may be at risk of harmful import increases (a simultaneous increase in import volume from all origins and a decrease in price, for products where there is EU production). 

The Commission calls on EU producers and associations to review the results and, where warranted, provide further market intelligence and data on the economic situation facing industry that will help the Commission to assess whether certain products need protection through targeted, proportionate and timely action, while avoiding any unintended effects on other producers downstream.

For that purpose, interested parties in the EU are invited to fill in this questionnaire and send it - along with any other relevant input or questions - to TRADE-IMPORT-MONITORINGec [dot] europa [dot] eu (TRADE-IMPORT-MONITORING[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu). 

Protective action

Where the conditions are met, the Commission can make use of the EU's trade defence toolbox:

• Safeguards
• Anti-dumping measures
• Anti-subsidy measures

Import monitoring results

• Latest dashboard results
• Methodology for establishing the list of products and the heat map
• Previous results

This heat map is based on a list of all products where a potentially harmful increase of imports has been detected.  

*The heat map illustrates any upward deviation from established trading patterns. 

Contact

Please contact TRADE-IMPORT-MONITORINGec [dot] europa [dot] eu (TRADE-IMPORT-MONITORING[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) for any questions.

More information

Frequently asked questions on monitoring trade diversion