The UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has published its statements of intended final determination in tariff rate quota (TRQ) reviews TQ0077 and TQ0078, preserving the overall safeguard structure, while proposing targeted amendments to Category 12A (alloy merchant bars and light sections) under the UK steel safeguard regime.
TQ0077: Categories 4 and 7 to remain unchanged
The review under TQ0077 reassessed tariff quotas applied to Category 4 (metallic coated sheet) and Category 7 (non-alloy and other alloy quarto plate). The TRA assessed whether a “change in circumstances” had occurred since the application of the TRQ. It concluded that:
- Country caps were partially exhausted during the period of investigation (October 1, 2024-September 30, 2025).
- Trade flows have shifted compared to the representative period (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).
However, after evaluating domestic production and direct competitiveness, the TRA found sufficient UK production for the commodity codes under review and determined that quota utilization does not unduly restrict imports. As a result, the TRA recommended maintaining the existing TRQ structure for Categories 4 and 7, with no commodity codes removed from the scope.
Category 12A review under TQ0078 identifies structural supply changes
The separate TQ0078 review focused on alloy commercial bars and light sections within Category 12A. The TRA found two key changes in circumstances: impact on traditional trade flows and ceasing of domestic production.
Accordingly, imports increased from 58,162 mt (2017-18) to 94,009 mt during the period of investigation (October 2024-September 2025), representing a 61.63 percent rise, with strong growth from Spain and Poland.
The TRA concluded that production of certain Category 12A goods at Speciality Steel UK’s Rotherham facility, the only UK plant capable of producing given products, has stopped following insolvency proceedings. Publicly available information indicates that the site has been mothballed and has had no production since July 2024. The TRA determined that this significantly limits domestic supply and constitutes a change in circumstances.
Following its assessment of similar and directly competitive goods, the TRA found sufficient UK production for the products under the codes HS 7228 3089 00 and HS 7228 7010 00. These two codes are recommended to remain within Category 12A.
However, due to the absence of domestic production, the TRA proposes removing six commodity codes: 7228 3020 00, 7228 3041 00, 7228 3061 00, 7228 3069 00, 7228 3070 00, and 7228 6020 00.