UK government confirms closer import safeguards to protect domestic industries from July 1
The UK government has confirmed that it will propose a new set of enhanced steel safeguards starting July 1, 2025, and is based on urgent recommendations from UK Steel as there are growing concerns about a surge in redirected foreign imports.
Commerce and Commerce Minister Jonathan Reynolds announced the change today, following the call for UK Steel to take immediate action to protect domestic producers. The adjustment includes a sharp tightening of the liberalization rate of steel quotas from 3% to 0.1% year-on-year, a move designed to offset a surge in imports that have been transferred from the U.S. market after President Trump imposed new tariffs on steel products.
The government also agreed to implement a cap on the remaining quota to ensure that countries cannot occupy market access and replace steel made in Britain. To make country-specific import restrictions more stringent, the rules will be updated to prevent unused quarterly quotas from being carried and block rated quotas for countries with dedicated quotas in the last quarter.
These changes reflect similar safeguards adopted by the EU, aiming to protect British producers from unfair competition and unsustainable price pressures, caused by heavily subsidized foreign steel.
Gareth Stace, director of steel in the UK, welcomed the announcement, saying the decision was a “speed and decisive move to support British industry” and stressed its urgency in light of steel redirected from the flooded global supply chains of the U.S. market.
“Jonathan Reynolds has shown that he is standing in the UK industry by implementing these emergency safeguards,” Staces said. “This will help reduce the harm caused by British steel manufacturers, a surge in redirected imports following U.S. steel tariffs. It sends a strong message to investors that the UK is committed to creating a positive and stable business environment for the industry.”
Stas added that while strengthened safeguards are a crucial step forward, the government must now focus on developing long-term trade defense mechanisms to take effect when the current system expires by the end of next year.
Steel protection measures form part of a broader strategy to ensure the competitiveness of the UK manufacturing industry in a rapidly changing global trade environment. As the steel supply chain faces ongoing turbulence and supplies from state-subsidized producers, the UK sector has repeatedly called for a strong trade defense tool to secure its future.
The announcement could be welcomed by steel producers and workers across the UK, especially in areas such as South Wales, Yorkshire and the central region where the industry remains a key economic pillar.
The government said it remains committed to supporting the strategic sector and ensuring that the UK remains resilient in the face of global market disruption.
Further policy details are expected to be outlined in the upcoming trade strategy later this summer, which will lay the foundation for post-Brexit trade remedies and international competitiveness.
