UK raises steel duties to 50% and cuts import quotas 60%
→Importers' trade teams must apply 50% duty and new reduced quotas from 1 July 2026
Change
UK has implemented a steel protection package that cuts many import quotas by 60% and raises duties outside those quotas to 50% from 1 July 2026, sets a 50% domestic-sourcing target (half of that in Wales) and pairs the measures with a £2.5bn strategy to boost domestic capacity.
Why it matters
Ministers have placed the Scunthorpe steelworks into public control, making the state the immediate decision-maker for plant operations and transitions. The government's strategy links higher tariffs and tighter quotas to industrial policy and a planned shift to electric arc furnaces that melt scrap metal, with the new furnaces expected online in 2028.
Implications
- — Importers' trade-compliance teams must update import filings and quota references for consignments arriving on or after 1 July 2026 — consignments beyond the reduced quotas will incur a 50% duty.
- — Procurement teams at UK steel-using manufacturers must secure domestic supplier allocations or amend delivery schedules before 1 July 2026 — relying on imports for post-July deliveries risks 50% duties being applied to those shipments.
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Source
View on The Guardian