UK steel industry calls for protectionist measures over glut driven by China

Lobby group UK Steel said country faces cliff edge' in 2026 when current protections run out

The UK steel industry has called for the government to consider further protectionist trade measures as it braces for a flood of imported steel amid a global glut driven by China.

UK Steel, a lobby group, said the global industry has 543m tonnes of excess steel, 70 times more than the UK uses each year, in analysis published on Monday. It said the UK faces a cliff edge" in 2026 when current protections run out.