The UK's Department of International Trade has published an intended preliminary decision to extend UK steel import safeguards and tariff rate quotas for three years from July 1 on certain product categories, including hot-rolled sheets and strips, cold-rolled sheets and rebars, where imports have been "significant."
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egister Now Imports of other products deemed not to have been imported in significant quantities, or which are not produced in the UK or have not caused serious injury to domestic producers, including some metallic coated sheets, tin mill products and stainless bars, are to be freed from quotas.
The preliminary decision – still subject to public consultation and government approval - intends to recommend that safeguard measures are revoked on 135 product codes and extended on 102 product codes, said the department's Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate, or TRID.
The announcement late on May 19 was criticized by steelmakers' group UK Steel as being too liberal and also surprised analysts.
TRID said that goods still to be included under the safeguards are subject to tariff rate quotas and an out-of-quota safeguarding duty of 25%.
The liberalization rate for the measures is set at 3% for each year that the measure is in place, meaning that the quota amounts will increase by 3% annually, allowing an increased volume of imports to access the UK market. This will ensure that the pace of liberalization is maintained, TRID said.
According to the TRID proposal, safeguard measures and tariff rate quotas will be maintained on imports of non alloy and other alloy hot rolled sheets and strips and cold rolled sheets, some metallic coated sheets, organic coated sheets, rebars, stainless wire rod, some railway material, gas pipes, hollow sections and other welded pipes.
Certain developing countries will be exempt from the tariff rate quotas on these products, TRID said.
According to the TRID proposal, safeguards and tariff rate quotas will be revoked on imports of some metallic coated sheets, tin mill products, non alloy and other alloy merchant bars and light sections, stainless bars and light sections, non alloy and other alloy wire rod, angles, shapes and sections of iron or non alloy steel, some railway material, non alloy and other alloy cold finished bars, non alloy wire, large welded tubes and nonalloy and other alloy quarto plates.
TRID has invited comments on its proposals by 5 pm BST on May 26. ■