Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2026 to question 11861, whether his department has carried out a formal impact assessment on the potential impact of steel tariffs on downstream manufacturers.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This steel trade measure has been carefully designed to take account of UK industry needs, and to ensure continued supply of necessary imports to meet these aims.
An Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the relevant legislation was published on 30 June, setting out the expected impacts of this measure on different types of businesses.
We have engaged with downstream industries and will continue to do so as the measure is implemented. We will continue to monitor the measure and review it after 12 months.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2026 to UIN 11858, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of ministerial engagement with the British Constructional Steelwork Association on the impact of proposed steel tariffs.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government undertook extensive engagement with steel producers and downstream users to inform the design of the trade measure, including with the British Constructional Steelwork Association, whose representatives Ministers have met on multiple occasions.
The Government took into account a range of different factors alongside this engagement to inform the design of the trade measure and we have sought to find the right balance between enabling necessary imports to flow whilst retaining steel making in the UK, as that is under existential threat.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2026 to question 11863, what assessment his Department has made of the potential for tariff circumvention through the import of semi-finished or fabricated steel products.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The measure has been designed to reduce the risk of importers shifting to similar steel products that fall outside quotas. We will continue to monitor the measure carefully, review it after 12 months and engage with businesses to ascertain the potential for tariff circumvention through the import of semi-finished or fabricated steel products.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2026 to question 11863, whether fabricated steel products are explicitly excluded from the scope of the proposed tariff measures; and if he will publish guidance setting out that scope.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The measure covers 20 categories of steel, including all finished steel products that can be made in the UK. It does not cover fabricated or derivative products. Details of the measure, including product scope, can be found on gov.uk here: UK's steel trade measure from 1 July 2026
For the purposes of this measure, the Department distinguishes between finished steel products, such as plates and coils, that are produced by steelmakers and fall within the specified categories, and fabricated or derivative products that have been further processed into downstream goods. The measure was designed to address the impacts of global steel overcapacity on UK steelmaking, given its importance to critical national infrastructure and defence, and therefore applies to finished steel products only.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2026 to question 11863, whether his Department has adopted a formal definition of fabricated steel for the purposes of the tariff measures proposed in the UK Steel Strategy.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The measure covers 20 categories of steel, including all finished steel products that can be made in the UK. It does not cover fabricated or derivative products. Details of the measure, including product scope, can be found on gov.uk here: UK's steel trade measure from 1 July 2026
For the purposes of this measure, the Department distinguishes between finished steel products, such as plates and coils, that are produced by steelmakers and fall within the specified categories, and fabricated or derivative products that have been further processed into downstream goods. The measure was designed to address the impacts of global steel overcapacity on UK steelmaking, given its importance to critical national infrastructure and defence, and therefore applies to finished steel products only.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he will consider undertaking a review of the tariff measures introduced under the UK Steel Strategy within six months of their implementation.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
No. However, as I told the House, the government will conduct a review after 12 months to ensure the measure remains effective and the balance is right for both producers and downstream users. In addition, the department will actively monitor the implementation of the measure and ministers and officials will regularly engage with companies across the supply chain.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what support is available to SMEs in the steel fabrication sector as a result of changes to tariff measures.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In finalising the steel trade measure, we listened to stakeholders across the supply chain, including representative bodies, downstream users and fabricators, and made appropriate adjustments to product scope and quota volumes. The measure applies to steel categories that can be made in the UK, with quotas designed to maintain continuity of supply. To ease short-term impacts, goods under contract before 14 March 2026 and imported between 1 July and 30 September 2026 will not be subject to the additional 50% out of quota duties or count towards first-quarter quotas. We will continue to engage with industry, monitor impacts and review the measure after 12 months.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the tariff measures proposed in the UK Steel Strategy on the supply of unfabricated steel products and the potential subsequent downstream impact on the construction industry.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government took into account a range of different factors alongside extensive engagement with producers and downstream users to inform the design of the trade measure. This included considerations around the scale of UK demand, production, capacity and recent trade levels.
We have sought to find the right balance between enabling imports to flow whilst retaining steel making in the UK, as that is under existential threat.
We are conscious that the UK steel supply is complex and interconnected. At this stage, the measure is not intended to cover any other metals or fabricated products. We will continue to monitor the measure and engage with businesses. We will review the measure after 12 months.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the UK Steel Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) proposed tariff measures on unfabricated steel and (b) the decision not to apply tariffs to fabricated steel on the competitiveness of UK steel fabrication.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government took into account a range of different factors alongside extensive engagement with producers and downstream users to inform the design of the trade measure. This included considerations around the scale of UK demand, production, capacity and recent trade levels.
We have sought to find the right balance between enabling imports to flow whilst retaining steel making in the UK, as that is under existential threat.
We are conscious that the UK steel supply is complex and interconnected. At this stage, the measure is not intended to cover any other metals or fabricated products. We will continue to monitor the measure and engage with businesses. We will review the measure after 12 months.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has had discussions with the steel industry on the decision regarding the introduction of tariffs on fabricated steel in the UK Steel Strategy published on 19th March 2026.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government took into account a range of different factors alongside extensive engagement with producers and downstream users to inform the design of the trade measure. This included considerations around the scale of UK demand, production, capacity and recent trade levels.
We have sought to find the right balance between enabling imports to flow whilst retaining steel making in the UK, as that is under existential threat.
We are conscious that the UK steel supply is complex and interconnected. At this stage, the measure is not intended to cover any other metals or fabricated products. We will continue to monitor the measure and engage with businesses. We will review the measure after 12 months.