Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Printable version

Government action to support the steel industry

The government is working closely with the steel sector and others to secure a more sustainable future for the industry and steelworkers.

This includes taking the action listed below, following the high-level steel summit in October 2015.

Energy costs

On 17 December we secured state aid clearance to pay further compensation to energy intensive industries (EIIs) - including steel - for renewable policy costs. This comes on top of the compensation we have already been paying to EIIs, including over £50 million to steelmakers to date.

In the Autumn Statement we announced that we would exempt EIIs from renewable policy costs.

Further information on relief for EIIs has been published recently (19 January 2016).

EU Industrial Emissions Directives

We have secured the longer lead-in times for compliance the industry asked for, which will save millions of pounds.

Anti-dumping

In July and again in November last year, we voted in favour of anti-dumping measures on the imports of certain steel products.

It was the UK that lobbied successfully, in support of industry calls, for an EU investigation into cheap imports of reinforcing steel bar.

We requested and secured an extraordinary meeting of the EU’s Competitiveness Council and where there is clear evidence, agreed faster action on dumping and EU action in the past month shows they have listened.

Procurement

We have published and further updated guidance for government departments, allowing considerations such as social impacts, job impacts and staff safety, so that the true value of UK steel can be taken into account. We are the first country in the EU to take advantage of and implement these new flexibilities.

 

Channel website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-innovation-skills

Share this article

Latest News from
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Spotlight on women at Serco – Anita’s story