The UK government has accepted the Trade Remedies Authority’s (TRA) recommendation to adjust the tariff rate quota (TRQ) on non-alloy and other alloy hot rolled flat steel (Category 1) products. The adjustment splits Category 1 into two new groups, Categories 1A and 1B, and expands the overall import quota. These changes took effect on October 1, 2024.

The quota for Category 1A will remain at just over one million metric tons (mt) annually. However, the quota for Category 1B will be 132% higher than 1A, reaching around 2.3 million mt per year. With this change, the total quota for both categories will rise to 3.3 million mt annually, up from the previous 2.9 million mt.

The new quota for Category 1B will also be applied globally. This aims to help companies build reliable supply chains for domestic processing. A 40% cap will limit any single country’s exports from dominating this quota.

Additionally, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade has instructed the TRA to review its earlier suspension recommendation. In February, the TRA suggested suspending the safeguard measure on hot rolled flat and coil steel for nine months, as previously reported by SteelOrbis.