Stuart Anderson MP Secures Vital Ministerial Commitment on Steel Tariffs
Stuart Anderson MP spoke on behalf of The Amodil Group, a family-run business based in Cleobury Mortimer, to raise the impact of proposed tariffs on imported steel. In an extraordinary intervention, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP, promised to "look into this personally".
- Stuart questioned the logic of imposing tariffs on products that provide materials for critical industries but are not made at the required quantity or type in the UK
- Amodil group, the largest privately-owned stockholder of stainless steel long products, would face significant price hikes affecting over 1200 customers and supply chains.
- The Secretary of State, Peter Kyle MP, committed to engaging with Amodil and Stuart after his concerns were raised, recognising that the measures are not intended to affect products that cannot be sourced in the UK.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
“While everyone wants British steel producers to thrive, government plans to significantly cut the quota of tariff-free steel imports and double tariffs on all other imports would have serious knock-on effects for downstream industries that heavily rely on imported steel products which cannot be obtained domestically. Companies like Amodil in Cleobury Mortimer are warning that these changes would have severe consequences for their operations and affect supply chains for critical industries. So, I have urged Trade Ministers to delay these changes to enable better engagement with businesses. Hasty decisions would result in job losses and reduced investment, while a short delay could save both.”
As part of its Plan for Steel, the government has announced that it will cut tariff-free import quotas by 60% from July 2026 - a much steeper reduction than the EU's 47%. Certain steel categories will face even deeper cuts of up to 90%. Meanwhile, tariffs on imports exceeding quota limits will surge from 25% to 50%. The Department for Business and Trade said that the measure is a “vital step to protect UK steel production in the face of global steel overcapacity.”
However, Stuart has questioned these plans, saying that this will have “serious knock-on effects” for downstream industries that heavily rely on imported steel products which cannot be obtained domestically. The UK steel industry supports over 60,000 jobs in supply chain companies. This includes The Amodil Group, the largest stockholder of stainless steel long products in the UK. Founded in 1976, it supports over 50 local jobs at its warehouse in Cleobury Mortimer, which Stuart recently visited. The group is a major importer of stainless steel into the UK, bringing approximately 10,000 tonnes annually. The Amodi Group has over 1,250 customers, including 440 more than stockists and 810 end users in the UK.
At a debate on Government plans to nationalise steel, Stuart raised Amodil’s concerns about the proposed changes. Stuart pointed out that of the 5000 tonnes of stainless steel stock held by Amodil, 2000 tonnes are made up of stainless steel products that cannot be produced in the UK. This stock will be subject to the doubled tariffs coming into force on July 1, and would result in unsustainable costs for both Amodil and their customers. Specifically, stainless steel long bars are used extensively in critical industries such as aerospace, defence, oil, automotive and general engineering. Stuart pointed out that the increase costs imposed by these tariffs would force these companies to purchase products abroad, threatening jobs in domestic manufacturing.
In an extraordinary intervention, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP, promised to "look into this personally". The Secretary of State explained that the Government’s plans were not intended to affect products that cannot be produced domestically. In the debate Stuart urged Ministers to delay implementation of the changes to allow for better consultation with businesses likely to be affected by them.
The British Chambers of Commerce has warned that the changes will cause “immediate hardship” for importers of steel into the UK and pose a “double hit” for firms struggling with high costs and fragile supply chains. It has warned that the changes could add millions of pounds to manufacturers’ costs. Their proposals include reducing the scale of quota cuts, lowering or phasing in the new tariff rate above quota limits, and extending the transition for existing orders from three months to cover a full year.
Paul Slingsby, Chairman of The Amodil Group, said,
"We met with Stuart Anderson MP to discuss the impact the Government’s tariff changes will have on our business and our customers. We are delighted that Stuart was able to raise this in Parliament and secure a commitment from the Secretary of State to reach out to us. We look forward to these conservations and the chance to set out our concerns. We have been very impressed with the fast response from Stuart and also how quickly he took it to the House of Commons.”
