Japan, Vietnam, and Taiwan are set to exhaust their safeguard duty-free allowance of 141,850 tonnes for hot-rolled coil (HRC) exports to the EU by October 1. Japan exported nearly 250,000 tonnes of HRC in June-July, with significant volumes exceeding the quota. Vietnam's exports also surpassed the quota, with at least 65,000 tonnes carried over from a previous period. Taiwan is on track to exceed its quota as well, with nearly 150,000 tonnes exported during the same timeframe. Importers are keen to clear these coils before potential retroactive anti-dumping duties take effect in December. Meanwhile, the EU has seen record HRC imports this year despite existing safeguard measures, prompting calls from European steel producers for stricter import restrictions.