The UK government has accepted the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA)’s steel safeguard recommendation. However, it is making new regulations by extending safeguards on another five of the 19 steel products for one year by public notice, Kallanish notes.

In June the TRA proposed to extend safeguard measures on ten products for a further three years beyond 30 June, with nine slated to be revoked. UK trade secretary Liz Truss had to vote on whether to accept the TRA’s recommendation or to reject it, but could not amend it, according to current legislation.

Truss decided to accept the recommendation on Wednesday but said the public notice will set out the details of the temporary extension on a further five products. The products concerned are yet to be revealed. Imports outside the quotas will face a tariff of 25%.

“Current disruption to industry caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, threats of dumping and unfair subsidies, and continued trade restrictions in third countries all put UK steel products at an unacceptable disadvantage,” Truss says in a written statement to Parliament.

The new regulations will give an opportunity for the industry to appeal the recommendation made by the TRA, “so any new evidence can be reviewed in the context of the unique global market conditions which currently prevail”, Truss observes. This includes assessing the risk of injury arising from the EU safeguard which was published after the TRA made its decision.

“It is important to note that the ability of industry to gather the data and the TRA to consider the evidence was extremely challenging given the unprecedented disruption to trade caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Truss explains.

The government will also review the Trade Remedies framework “to ensure it is up-to-date, champions WTO rules and is fit for purpose in the post-Covid world”, Truss says. The framework was first introduced in 2018 under the previous government.

Last week the UK government voted to reject emergency legislation that would have allowed amendments to the TRA’s recommendation (see Kallanish passim). It consequently came under fire from UK Steel, trade unions and the Labour Party, who claimed the resulting influx of imports would discourage UK steelmakers from future investment.