Archibald criticises British Government’s restrictions on steel imports

Date published: 30 June 2026

The British Government set out its proposed Steel Trade Measure in March, including a significant reduction in tariff‑free import quotas and a 50% duty on out‑of‑quota imports across 20 product categories – including steel not produced in Britain. Since then, the Minister and her officials have been in regular contact with industry representatives to understand the potential impact for downstream users of steel in the north, which have included concerns about availability, price and competitiveness. 

The Minister has taken every opportunity to relay these concerns to her British and Irish Government counterparts, reflecting also the imminent introduction of EU steel trade measures from 1 July.

Following confirmation of the final details of the Steel Trade Measure, announced on 25 June, the Minister said today:  

“Since its initial proposals were set out in March I have been pressing the British Government to take into account the interests of industry here, which is heavily reliant on imported steel, including specialist grade steel not produced in Britain. While the British Government has introduced some mitigations, this policy remains hugely detrimental to our economy. The interests of producers in Britain have been prioritised over our local businesses that rely on steel.”

She continued:  

“This is another hammer blow to industries which are already dealing with a crisis in the cost of doing business. British Government decisions, such as the increase in National Insurance Contributions, are making this cost crisis worse. I will continue to advocate on behalf of local businesses and press the British Government to change course.”