Alberto has urged the Government to provide urgent clarity over proposed steel tariffs, warning that businesses face rising costs and continued uncertainty just days before the new measures are due to come into force.
The Government is set to introduce new steel import safeguards from 1 July, including tariff-free quotas and a 50% tariff on imports above those limits. While intended to protect UK steelmaking, manufacturers have warned that some of the affected specialist steel products are not made in Britain, risking higher costs for businesses with no choice but to import them.
Speaking during an Urgent Question in the House of Commons, Alberto raised concerns on behalf of businesses across South Leicestershire and the wider manufacturing sector, calling on Ministers to publish the final quota allocations before the changes take effect on 1 July.
After speaking in the House of Commons, Alberto said:
"Businesses across South Leicestershire have been left in the dark for far too long. For many smaller manufacturers, the combination of uncertainty and the potential impact of these tariffs could be the difference between investing for the future and standing still.
"Even if the Government now changes course, months of uncertainty have already damaged business confidence, delayed investment and made it harder for firms to plan ahead."
Alberto and his team have heard from the British Stainless Steel Association, the Confederation of British Metalforming and manufacturers across the supply chain, many of whom rely on specialist steel that is not currently produced in the UK. The sector has raised grave concerns about the Government's plans.
During the debate, Alberto asked Ministers whether they would publish detailed information on safeguard quota allocations and anticipated utilisation rates before the measures come into force, and what reassurance they could offer to small businesses concerned they will be priced out of the market.
Joe Johnson, Sales Director at KR Saws Ltd, said:
"The metal sector and the many downstream businesses that rely on it are already under immense pressure from rising energy costs, higher National Insurance contributions, wage inflation and increasing overheads. These challenges are already affecting competitiveness and profitability across the industry.
"The introduction of further tariffs and reduced quotas will only add to those pressures, increasing costs, disrupting trade and potentially leading to further redundancies and business closures at a time when the sector can least afford it. There are elements of the proposed quota system that urgently need to be looked at."
Alberto later added:
"It makes no sense to impose tariffs on specialist steel products that cannot even be made in the UK. In those cases, these measures are not protecting British production; they are simply increasing costs for British businesses that have no alternative but to import the materials they need.
"We must strike the right balance—protecting domestic steelmaking while ensuring British manufacturers remain competitive and able to grow."
