Under new regulations, implemented from tomorrow (July 1), 15% caps will be applied to individual countries’ use of the quarterly import quotas for Category 4 (metallic coated sheet), Category 7 (non-alloy and other alloy quarto plates) and Category 13 (rebar). The TRA had recommended 40% caps on each of these categories. 

Secretary of State Jonathan Reynolds also decided to reduce the volume by which the tariff-rate quotas for each of the UK’s 14 product categories was due to be liberalised, from July 1, to 0.1% (instead of 3%). 

In a further tightening of the country’s safeguard measures, a statement issued by the UK government today said that it will: 

• Prevent any unused quarterly quotas from being made available in the following quarter. 
• Prevent WTO members with a country-specific quota from accessing the residual quota in the final quarter of the safeguard year (April 1 to June 30, 2026).
• Update the country’s “developing country” exemptions based on UK import data for the period January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, and in line with the WTO Agreement on Safeguards.