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Iron and Steel: Import Duties

Asked by Wendy MortonConservativeDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 8 June 2026UIN 5944

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reducing tariff-free steel import quotas and increasing safeguard tariffs from 1 July 2026 on the competitiveness and costs of businesses in the (a) aerospace, (b) automotive, (c) defence, (d) energy and (e) advanced manufacturing sectors.

Answered by Chris Bryant

The Government has carefully designed this measure to minimise downstream impacts while addressing the existential threat to UK steelmaking. Current production levels are being considered in our work to set quota sizes, and imports will continue to flow to maintain fair and competitive supply chains. We will closely monitor the impacts and will review the measure after 12 months to ensure the balance is right for businesses in all sectors, including aerospace, automotive, defence, energy and advanced manufacturing.

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