UK steel industry: statistics and policy

The steel industry: a statistical summary of the UK and international industry; analysis of current prospects; summary of Government policy; timeline of events.

Autumn 2015 saw a crisis in the UK steel industry with the closure or reduction in capacity at major plants in Redcar, Scunthorpe, Scotland and South Wales.

In response, the Government introduced a number of measures to support the industry and those affected by the closures.

This note provides an overview of the scale of the industry, the recent crisis and the Government’s response to it, as well as the implications of Brexit on the industry.

The industry in 2016

• Economic output totals £1.6 billion, 0.1% of the UK economy and 0.7% of manufacturing output.
• There are 600 business involved in the industry.
• These businesses employ 32,000 people in the UK, 0.1% of the total.

The international picture

In 2016, the UK produced 8 million tonnes of steel. China produced 808 million tonnes in the same year.   

The EU as a whole produced 166 million tonnes of steel in 2015. The UK was the fifth largest steel producer in the EU, after Germany, Italy, France and Spain.

Prospects for the UK steel industry

• The recent fall in international demand for steel, combined with continuing growth in production has created a glut of steel on the international market. This has pushed steel prices down, magnifying the comparative expense of steel produced in the UK, where overheads are higher than in some other countries.
• Some analysts have questioned the economic viability of the UK steel industry, but the Prime Minister has stated that the Government is committed to supporting this industry, which she describes as “vital”.

The 2015/16 crisis

• In September 2015, Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI) announced that they would be “mothballing” their major steel making plant in Redcar on Teesside in the North East of England. This precipitated announcements of reductions in UK production capacity from a number of other major steel manufacturers, including Tata Steel and Caparo industries. Around 7,000 jobs have been affected by the crisis.