EU tariffs leave UK steel industry facing ‘biggest threat ever’ Industrials The UK’s ailing steel sector is facing the “biggest crisis in its history”, industry chiefs have warned, after the European Union unveiled plans to double tariffs on all steel imports in a bid to revive its moribund steelmaking capacity. As part of efforts to kickstart a “reindustrialisation of Europe“, EU commissioners signed off a proposal [...]
Trump’s tariff salvo blindsides UK manufacturers Politics Donald Trump has blindsided UK manufacturers by slapping fresh tariffs of up to 25 per cent on more than 400 categories of British goods, from shampoo and children’s highchairs to motorcycles and diggers. Conservative shadow trade secretary Andrew Griffith accused ministers of failing to protect exporters, saying: “When it comes to protecting UK businesses from [...]
Sale Sharks tycoon Simon Orange buys steel giant Business The co-owner of rugby union side Sale Sharks, Simon Orange, has bought the UK’s second-largest steel contractor just a few months after selling his investment business in a deal worth more than £1bn. Self-made millionaire Orange, whose brother Jason was an original member of Take That, has snapped up a majority stake in Greater Manchester-based [...]
When is a trade deal not a trade deal? June 5, 2025 Do you remember where you were on TD Day, 2025? Do you remember what you were doing when you heard the news that a “truly historic” treaty had been signed between the UK and US? Trade Deal Day, 8 May 2025, was – for this government – a very big deal indeed. Keir Starmer will [...]
British Steel: ‘Anti-China rhetoric’ criticised as ‘absurd’ by embassy April 16, 2025 China’s embassy in Britain has criticised the “arrogance, ignorance and twisted mindset” of UK politicians towards Chinese business, as it defended British Steel’s owner Jingye. It comes after Jonathan Reynolds said that the nationalisation of the British Steel plant in Scunthorpe is the “likely option at this stage”, while stressing the need to secure a [...]
British Steel: Reynolds would view Chinese firms in ‘different way’ April 15, 2025 Jonathan Reynolds has said he would “look at a Chinese firm in a different way” from those of other nations on involvement in the UK steel industry. But the business secretary has insisted the UK government took control of British Steel because of “one specific company”, and did not rule out Chinese firms being involved [...]
British Steel: No10 ‘confident’ it will secure materials to keep plant running April 14, 2025 The UK government is confident it will beat a race against time to keep the British Steel furnaces running after taking control of the plant from Chinese owners Jingye this weekend. Civil servants and steel workers were rushing to secure the raw materials to keep the Scunthorpe site’s furnaces going – which supply Network Rail [...]
British Steel: ‘All options on table’ over nationalising Scunthorpe, Starmer says April 8, 2025 The UK is keeping “all options on the table” over the potential nationalisation of the Chinese-owned British Steel plant in Scunthorpe, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister insisted he understood the importance of the plant, which is Britain’s last remaining steelmaker, in a Q&A with the House of Commons Liaison Committee, after its [...]
British Steel: thousands of jobs at risk after £500m subsidy rejected March 27, 2025 Thousands of jobs have been put at risk after British Steel announced plans to significantly reduce operations at its Scunthorpe steelworks. Up to 2,700 employees are expected to be impacted by the move which would see the closure of two blast furnaces and steelmaking operations as well as a reduction of steel rolling mill capacity [...]
Steel tariffs ‘couldn’t come at a worse time’ for UK industry March 12, 2025 UK industry heavyweights have branded Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminium imports a “difficult day for transatlantic trade” that will put “considerable pressure” on the UK’s metals sector. Tariffs on the two widely-used commodities came into force on Wednesday morning, meaning all UK steel and aluminium exports to the US will now be subject [...]