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Iron and Steel: Imports

Asked by Alex MayerLabourDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 5 June 2026UIN 4702

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK steel trade safeguard measures due to come into force on 1 July 2026 on specialist steel importers supplying the aerospace, Formula One, renewable energy and defence sectors.

Answered by Chris McDonald

This Government recognises the value of downstream, including specialist importers for defence and aerospace, alongside a resilient steel sector.

The steel measure has been designed to strike a balance between securing steelmaking while maintaining secure supply for downstream users.

The Government has engaged extensively with both producers and downstream users to inform its development;

To ease impacts, we will introduce a transitional arrangement under which the new measure would not apply to goods contracted before 14 March and imported between 1 July and 30 September 2026.

We will keep the measure under review, including after 12-months to ensure its effectiveness.

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