EU steel tariff hike threatens ‘biggest crisis’ for UK industry

The EU said it plans to increase the tariffs on imported steel in a movement that the UK’s steel industry says the “perhaps the biggest crisis” faced.

The Commission has set the plans to halve the amount of steel that can be imported to the block – this will be applied to new 50% tariffs.

The EU is the most important export target for Steel, which represents 78% of the steel products made in the UK for £ 3 billion and 78% of the steel products for overseas markets.

The Commission was under pressure from some member states and steel industries struggling to compete with cheap imports from countries such as China and Türkiye.

The EU suggests to reduce non-tariff-free quotas for imports to 18.3 million tons per year-2024 levels of 47%.

New measures will come into force at the beginning of next year, but first will be approved by the EU member states and the majority of the European Parliament.

“We are reducing and reducing the European Commission’s welfare and industrial strategy vice president Stéphane Séjourné,” Global capacity, unjust competition, state aid and prices. ”

“In 2024, eighteen thousand jobs disappeared in the steel industry in 2024. This is too much and we had to put an end to it,” he said at a press conference in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The announcement is another blow to the UK steel industry after a proposed agreement to eliminate tariffs in the UK steel exports. It was waiting indefinitely in September.

A few companies were already in the terrible financial straits.

Earlier this year, the government seized the control of Chinese plants in Scunthorpe, while Rotherham and Liberty Steel plants in Stocksbridge fell under government control last month.

Speaking on his way to India on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said the British steel industry would be “strong support” that can be seriously affected by the government from EU tariffs.

Sir Keir Starmer, “I can give you more information in time, but we are in discussions as you expect,” he said.

Responding to the announcement, the UK Steel General Manager Gareth Stace said that the government should go out to benefit from our trade relationship with the European Union in order to secure British country quotas or to face a potential face disaster. “

The movement of the European Union is a response to US President Donald Trump, which has been partly in part of this year, sharply increasing the tariffs on foreign steel and pushing other countries to take similar steps.

Canada, Mexico and Brazil took action to increase the guards for domestic steel producers, and he responded to concerns about companies who lost jobs in the United States, while encountering competition from the America at home.

Mr. Stace warned the EU against the measures of “directing millions of tons of steel towards the United Kingdom”, which can be “Terminal for most of our remaining steel companies”.

The community unity, representing the UK steel workers, called measures a “existential threat to the sector to the sector.

When asked about the United Kingdom concerns, the European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said at a press conference that he expects to “fully interested” with the UK on this issue and that a certain UK quota could be negotiated in the future.

The Ministry of Business said that “the European Commission forced this movement to explain its impact on Britain urgently,” he said.

Industry Minister Chris McDonald said, “It is very important to maintain trade flows between England and the EU, and instead of adding to the problems of our industries, we will work with our closest allies to address global challenges,” he said.

“This government has shown its loyalty to our steel industry by providing preferential access to the US market for our exporters and we continue to discover more powerful trade measures to protect the UK steel producers from unfair behavior.”

The government said the industry minister would meet with steel representatives on Thursday to discuss the concerns of the Minister of Industry.

Liam Bates is the General Manager of the UK in Marcegaglia in Sheffield, which makes the EU stainless steel products and export. He said the announcement was “a big blow.”

He continued: “It should be among the biggest challenges we have faced for a long time. Now the big question is detailed. Will the British government have any agreement to soften the coup?”

“There is no tariff in Europe, so you expect some reciprocity on this issue, so that we can be treated in the same way. The detail that we hope to work should work,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said that future trade with EU customers is a source of concern.

He continued: “We have good relations with our customers and we will communicate with them, but it immediately brings a coercion to our business.”

“Our customers are there in the long run and therefore there will be a question about whether there is a long -term relationship that may still be against these quotas.”