Category 4 Steel Imports: Tariff-free Quotas

Earl of Effingham Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for those kind words. We do not import steel only from India. In fact, the largest import of steel is actually from the EU, followed very closely by Vietnam, then India, and not forgetting South Korea. Those are the principal importers of steel into this country. As I said earlier, we have not changed the quotas as far as India is concerned. We continue to engage regularly with India and with Tata, which is owned by an Indian company, on the usage of steel in this country.

[The Earl of Effingham (Con)]

My Lords, following on from the noble Lord, Lord Hannan, why does the Minister think that the overwhelming majority of economists say that tariffs harm the economy?

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

I refer the noble Earl to other countries such as Canada and the USA, and to the EU. We are not the only country that has import tariffs. When a particular sector is impacted and it impacts on our domestic supply, it is right to have tariffs in place to protect the domestic sector, which in turn protects jobs and, I would hope, creates growth.