UK expected to reduce amount of steel it allows in tariff-free

The UK government is expected to reduce tariff-free steel import quotas to protect its domestic industry, potentially announcing changes in April for implementation in July. This action responds to a global steel glut, largely driven by increased production and exports from countries like China, Vietnam, Korea and Turkey, and rising protectionism following US tariffs imposed in 2018. The UK's current steel import safeguards, adopted post-Brexit and mirroring previous EU measures, are set to expire in June 2026 but cannot be extended further under WTO rules. The EU is also replacing its safeguards with tariffs and smaller quotas, requiring the UK to negotiate for protected access. The UK steel industry argues that failing to implement new quotas would leave it vulnerable to cheap imports.

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