The UK government has opened a six-week Call for Evidence, inviting input from across the steel industry to help design stronger, long-term trade protections. The initiative aims to support
the future of the UK steel sector and ensure resilience in critical supply chains.
Shaping future protections
Steel producers, consumers, and unions are being asked to contribute their views as the government looks to develop trade measures that extend beyond current safeguards, which are set to expire in June 2026 and cannot be renewed. These new measures are expected to replace the temporary protections that were introduced to manage import surges and adjust to new trading conditions.
Support amid industry challenges
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:
“We know this is a tough time for steel producers which is why this Government is using every tool available to ensure the long-term success of our vital steel industry, protect jobs and deliver on our Plan for Change.
Thanks to our deal with the United States, all Section 232 tariffs on UK steel will be removed—while producers in other countries still face tariffs of up to 50%. But we’re not stopping there.
We will not sit by idly while cheap imports threaten to undercut UK industry, so we are inviting industry to shape the next phase of our trade defences so we can provide robust support and ensure a fair and competitive market”.
Broader government action
This consultation follows a series of efforts under the government’s wider industrial strategy, including:
- A UK-US trade agreement removing Section 232 tariffs on UK steel.
- A forthcoming Steel Strategy to outline a long-term vision for the sector.
Major investments such as:
- £500 million for transforming the Port Talbot steelworks.
- £2.5 billion pledged to support the broader steel industry.
Interventions to safeguard operations at British Steel’s Scunthorpe site.
Industry response
UK Steel Director General Gareth Stace said:
“It is welcome news that the Government is developing a new steel trade defence mechanism.
With growing global steel overcapacity and rising trade diversion, Government must deliver a new trade defence system to provide industry certainty before steel safeguards expire in June 2026.
UK Steel looks forward to working with Government to design an effective framework that will help to level the playing field on international trade and provide the market stability needed to draw investment in the UK steel sector”.
Community Assistant General Secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said:
“Trade protections are a vital bastion for our steel industry in the face of global overcapacity, rising protectionism and unfair trade. They provide essential security, and safeguard thousands of jobs across the UK steel industry and its extensive supply chains.
We welcome the UK Government’s early engagement with the sector to shape our future steel protections and ensure that a cliff-edge scenario next year is prevented.
This government has demonstrated its steadfast support for our steel industry, and we will continue to work with them to secure the long-term future of the sector”.
Next steps
The Call for Evidence is open for six weeks and is a crucial step in shaping policies that will ensure a fair and competitive environment for the UK steel industry moving forward. Photo by Neath Port Talbot : Steel Works by Lewis Clarke, Wikimedia commons.