Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic impact of the proposed change in imported steel tariffs above quota limits from 1 July 2026 on manufacturing businesses.

The Government has engaged extensively with manufacturers and wider industry to inform the design of the new steel trade measure, including through ongoing discussions and a Call for Evidence in 2025.

The policy has been developed to strike the right balance between securing the future of domestic steelmaking while maintaining secure supply chains. We have set quota levels to reflect the specific needs of the UK steel sector, calibrated against the UK’s production capability and demand levels.

The measure only covers steel requirements that can be met in the UK. In some instances, this is not feasible for technical reasons. Where this is the case, quotas have been designed to allow for sufficient imports to ensure these goods continue to be available to UK downstream users without unnecessary additional costs.

We will keep the measure under review, including a review after twelve months to ensure it remains effective and fit for purpose.