Economic Indicators
Analysis of the latest UK and international economic indicators

The steel industry: a statistical summary of the UK and international industry; analysis of current prospects; summary of Government policy; timeline of events.
Steel industry: statistics and policy (484 KB, PDF)
Impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak
Like all industries in the UK, the steel industry is being affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The Library has published information about the support available to businesses which have been affected by the virus. The Library also has a list of publications and resources about coronavirus in general.
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.
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.
Steel industry: statistics and policy (484 KB, PDF)
Analysis of the latest UK and international economic indicators
GDP International Comparisons: data and forecasts for the UK and the world's largest economies.
Latest statistics showing changes in UK productivity and comparisons of UK productivity with other G7 countries.