EU halves duty-free steel quota but UK and other partners given better rate

Thirteen countries with a free trade agreement with Brussels have their quota reduced by just one-third The EU has halved the amount of duty-free steel it will accept from abroad, but has agreed higher import volumes for more than a dozen trading partners, including Britain. However, some steel producers have been hit harder than others with Tata Steel UK, Britain’s biggest producer, revealing its duty-free exports have been slashed by 60%. The curbs are designed to reduce the amount of cheap Chinese steel coming into the bloc. Thirteen countries with a free trade agreement (FTA) with Brussels, including the UK, have had their quota reduced by only a third. “The commission is putting in place the practical arrangements needed to ensure that the EU’s steel measure operates effectively from day one,” said the EU trade commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič. “We are providing market participants with predictability through clear and transparent quota distribution rules.” The new steel safeguards mark the biggest divergence in trade with the UK since Brexit in 2020 and match similar moves announced last week by the UK to reduce foreign imports and boost domestic industries. Rajesh Nair, chief ex