Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Trade on the (a) Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate's Statement of Intended Final Determination published on 19 May 2021 and (b) impact of that statement on the economic and public interests of the UK.

BEIS Ministers and officials have regular discussions with their counterparts in the Department for International Trade on a range of issues of mutual interest, including on trade and steel.

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) will make a final recommendation before the UK steel safeguard measures are due to expire on 30 June 2021. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade may only reject a recommendation to impose a measure if she considers that it is not in the public interest or that the economic interest test has not been met. If this happens, the Secretary of State must lay down her reasons to Parliament.

She can accept or reject a TRA recommendation as a whole but not modify or partially accept it. She cannot extend a measure if the TRA does not recommend this.