TRA reviews quotas on Category 13 steel
The TRA has responded quickly to industry’s concerns, initiating a review of the tariff rate quota on the steel safeguard measure covering Category 13 steel.
The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has today (10 November 2025) initiated a review of the tariff rate quota (TRQ) on the UK’s steel safeguard measure covering Category 13 steel (rebar).
Steel rebar is used in construction, the automotive industry, engineering and white goods manufacture.
The TRA has moved quickly to respond to industry’s concerns and initiate this review following an application from UK producer 7 Steel UK on the grounds of a substantial change in circumstances. The application indicated that imports from Vietnam of this type of steel may have surpassed the threshold for exceptions for developing countries.
The TRA will now assess the data and consider whether the list of developing countries excepted should be varied to reflect the potential change in import patterns.
Give your views on the TRQ review
Businesses which think they may be affected by any change in quotas for this product (such as UK producers, importers, downstream users or overseas exporters of rebar) can register their interest in this review and submit comments through the Trade Remedies Service by 20 November 2025.
Once the TRA has concluded its review, it will make a final determination to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, who will decide whether to accept or reject the recommendation.
Background information:
- The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is the independent UK government body that investigates whether trade remedy measures are needed to counter unfair import practices and unforeseen surges of imports.
- Safeguard measures are one of three types of trade remedies that are allowed under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. Safeguard measures are emergency actions responding to increased imports of particular products, which cause serious injury to the importing country’s domestic industry. They apply to all imports (with some exceptions), rather than being focused on imports from particular countries. They impose duties when imports exceed a level reflecting traditional trading patterns.
- Tariff rate quotas (TRQs) are part of the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework and are used to help implement safeguard measures. They specify how much of a product can be imported from a country before its imports are subject to higher tariffs.
- According to UK regulations, imports from developing country members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that account for 3% or less of total imports into the UK should be exempt from the tariff rate quota. The information provided in the application suggests that Vietnam has exceeded a 3% individual share of total imports of the goods subject to review into the UK and therefore should no longer be excepted from the safeguard measure on category 13 goods.
- This review is examining whether Vietnam should continue to be excepted from the tariff rate quota – it does not propose eliminating imports. Vietnam would remain able to export rebar to the UK but would be subject to the same tariff rate quota framework that applies to other non-excepted countries, depending on the result of the review.
- The period of investigation for this review is 01 October 2024 to 30 September 2025
- UK industries concerned about unfair imports - such as those being dumped at prices lower than those at which they are sold in their country of origin, benefiting from manufacturing subsidies, or experiencing a sudden, unforeseen flood of imports into the UK - can contact the Trade Remedies Advisory Service for guidance and support. The TRA’s Trade Remedies Advisory Service can be contacted on: contact@traderemedies.gov.uk.