“The EU increase in duties on steel threatens a crisis in the British industry”

British representatives of the industry have stated that the plan to raise duties announced by the EU to import duties on imported steel can lead to the largest crisis in the history of Great Britain – the BBC station said on Wednesday. Brussels plans to raise duties to steel to 50 percent.

The European Commission has presented assumptions aimed at reducing half the amount of steel that can be imported to the European Union. The duty -free importer for imports would amount to 18.3 million tonnes per year, which is a reduction of 47 percent. Compared to the level of 2024, above this quantity, duties with doubled value are to be used – 50 percent.

This means that The EU duties on steel will be much more severe for the British industry than those introduced by the USA of 25 percent. The Financial Times provides the risk that “cheap steel will be sold in Great Britain on a dumping basis, which will weaken her supply even more.”

As noted by the BBC, the EU is “the most important recipient of British steel exports worth almost 3 billion pounds, 78 percent of steel products produced in Great Britain for the needs of foreign markets goes to EU countries.”

The new regulations will become effective at the beginning of 2026, but first they must be approved by the majority of EU Member States and the European Parliament.

According to the BBC, the introduction of EU plans will be “another blow to the British steel industry” after suspension in September for an indefinite period of a proposal of an agreement aimed at abolishing duties to export British steel to the United States.

The Prime Minister of Great Britain Keir Starmer on Tuesday announced that the government would provide “strong support” to the British steel industry. However, he did not answer the question whether London, when he talks to Brussels, is trying to introduce unique rules.

According to the BBC, the EU plan is “partly a response to the decision of the US President Donald Trump, who at the beginning of 2025 significantly raised duties on foreign steel.” This prompted other countries, including Canada, Mexico and Brazil to take action to increase the protection of domestic producers.

According to “FT”, the United Kingdom exported 1.9 million tons of steel to the EU in 2024, with the vast majority of which were exported without customs as part of the quota agreements concluded with Brussels.

From London Marta Zabłocka (PAP)

mzb/ punishment/