"We urge the government to secure a deal as soon as possible." Rajesh Nair, CEO Tata Steel UK
Rajesh Nair, CEO of Tata Steel UK has said: “We are grateful for the work the UK Government has undertaken so far in negotiating this trade agreement with the US administration.
"Tata Steel UK will need to import steel substrate until Electric Arc Furnace steelmaking is operational in Port Talbot from late 2027 onwards. It is therefore critical for our business that melted and poured in the UK is not a requirement to access the steel quotas in any future trade deal.
He continued: "Even though we are not currently melting steel in the UK, we remain the largest steel producer in the country and our mills continue to transform imported steel coil and slab into high-value, specialist products which are not available from US producers and are therefore essential to our US customers.
"We urge the government to secure a deal as soon as possible, and we would be happy to provide the US Government with any needed assurances on the provenance and processing of the steel we supply.
"However, a good deal with the US will not negate the need for an urgent review of the UK’s own tariff rate quotas for steel to protect us from re-diverted steel flows and global overcapacity”.
About Tata Steel UK
- The Tata Steel Group has been named one of the most ethical companies in the world, and is among the top producing global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 34 million tonnes.
- Tata Steel in the UK has the ambition to produce net-zero steel by 2045 at the latest, and to have reduced 30% of its CO2 emissions by 2030.
- In October 2024, Tata Steel ceased ironmaking at its Port Talbot site and temporarily paused steelmaking pending the construction of a 3.2Mtpa Electric Arc Furnace, due to be commissioned late in 2027 / early 2028. For that period, the business will import slab and hot rolled coil to support manufacturing and distribution operations at sites across Wales, England and Northern Ireland as well as Norway, Sweden, France, Germany and UAE. It also benefits from a network of sales offices around the world.
- Throughout 2024 Tata Steel UK has been undergoing a restructuring that will reduce the size of its workforce to around 5000 direct employees, supplying high-quality steel products to demanding markets, including construction and infrastructure, automotive, packaging and engineering.
- Tata Steel Group is one of the world's most geographically-diversified steel producers, with operations and a commercial presence across the world.
- The group recorded a consolidated turnover of around US$27.7 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2024.
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