LJUBLJANA, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Slovenia's largest steel producer on Friday urged the EU to adopt new safeguard measures to protect the steel sector from unfair competition, stressing that the measures should be introduced before the current ones expire in July 2026.

SIJ said in a statement that the European steel industry faces pressure from high energy costs, slowing economic growth, surging imports of low-cost steel, geopolitical instability, U.S. trade protectionism and the costs of transitioning toward greener sources of energy.

In its appeal to the European Commission and the Slovenian economy ministry, SIJ proposed a permanent quarterly import quota without carry-over of unused capacity. It also called for a 50-percent levy on imports exceeding the quotas to align with U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum products.

The European Commission launched a public consultation in July on the future of safeguard measures for the EU steel sector and is expected to present new trade instruments in September.

The Slovenian economy ministry said on Wednesday that it is closely following the Commission's discussions.

SIJ is one of the leading producers of stainless steel and special steels in Europe. ■