Overview

• The strategy paper from SPD leaders Lars Klingbeil and Bärbel Bas seeks priority for EU‑made steel in public procurement, focusing on infrastructure and defense projects.
• It calls for tougher trade defenses, an EU import ban on Russian steel with anti‑circumvention measures, and a negotiated quota arrangement to restore tariff‑free exports to the United States.
• The plan pairs procurement shifts with support for decarbonisation, lower energy costs, and stronger collective bargaining and worker co‑determination.
• Klingbeil, Bas, and Economy Minister Katherina Reiche met works councils and unions in Berlin as preparation for a steel summit Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans this autumn.
• The government is pursuing an industrial electricity price for energy‑intensive firms subject to European Commission approval, with talks targeted for year‑end and reimbursements slated in the 2027 budget.