Port Talbot steel crisis: Local Labour MP and MS demand UK Government raise tariffs to protect industry

Tata Steel confirmed earlier today that it will suspend production across all three of its South Wales sites — Port Talbot, Trostre in Llanelli, and Llanwern in Newport — for up to five weeks over Christmas. The company told staff the decision was due to “continuing low market demand”.

“UK steel is being undercut”

Stephen Kinnock MP standing in front of Port Talbot’s Tata Steelworks
(Image: BBC)

In a joint statement, the two Labour politicians said President Trump’s decision to sharply increase tariffs on steel imports into the US had triggered a “devastating knock‑on impact” for UK producers.

They warned that steel originally destined for America is now being diverted and “dumped” into Europe at cut‑price levels, undercutting Port Talbot and other UK producers.

“This diversion and dumping are leading to a collapse in domestic demand for Port Talbot steel, as we are being undercut on price by a glut of product from places like China and Vietnam,” they said.

“UK steel makers are under attack, and we must take action to defend them through enhanced trade defence measures.”

Call for urgent government action

Kinnock and Rees said the UK must follow the EU in tightening trade defence rules:

“There is only one way to respond to this, which is for the UK government to urgently increase tariffs and decrease quotas, to stop our steel being unfairly undercut. The last country to protect its steel industry will be the first country to lose it.”

They confirmed they have already sought a meeting with ministers to press the case for urgent intervention.

Extended stoppages confirmed

According to Tata’s internal briefing to staff, the shutdowns will run as follows:

• Llanwern (pickle line): 27 November – 5 December
• Trostre (tinplate, Llanelli): 1 December – 8 January
• Port Talbot (hot rolled products): 8 December – 8 January

The stoppages are far longer than the traditional two‑week festive pause and follow Tata’s earlier announcement this morning, first reported by Swansea Bay News, that production at Port Talbot and Trostre would be halted over Christmas. The latest update confirms the shutdowns will now extend across all three South Wales operations.

Related Tata Steel coverage

• Tata Steel to halt production at Port Talbot and Llanelli over Christmas
• £1.25bn green plan: Tata begins new project at Port Talbot
• EU’s 50% steel tariffs spark fears for Tata jobs in South Wales
• Plaid MS calls for UK to rejoin single market as tariffs loom

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Plaid MS calls for UK to rejoin single market as EU steel tariffs loom

Tariff fears deepen

The call comes after the European Commission confirmed plans to impose 50% tariffs on imported steel, mirroring measures introduced by US President Donald Trump earlier this year.

With nearly 80% of UK steel exports destined for the EU, trade body UK Steel has warned the move could spark the “biggest crisis” the industry has faced in decades.

Steel producers across Wales — including Tata’s Port Talbot and Trostre plants, as well as Llanwern in Newport — are bracing for the potential impact. Industry leaders say thousands of jobs could be at risk unless a trade solution is reached quickly (our earlier coverage here).

“Direct result of Brexit”

Speaking on ITV Cymru Wales’ Sharp End programme, Cefin Campbell MS — Plaid’s lead candidate for Carmarthenshire at the next Senedd election (profile here) — said the situation was a consequence of the UK leaving the EU.

“If we were still in the European Union, we would not be paying these tariffs,” he said. “Eighty per cent of our steel exports go to Europe — the biggest trading bloc in the world — and we madly decided to leave it. We’re now paying the price. That’s why I would implore Sir Keir Starmer to rejoin the single market and the customs union.”

Labour voices concern

Labour Senedd Member John Griffiths, who represents Newport East — home to the Llanwern steelworks — also expressed alarm.

He said the escalation highlighted how vulnerable the UK had become since Brexit:

“It is extremely worrying, and I know the Welsh Government is urging the UK Government to seek talks with the European Commission as soon as possible. We’re caught between the United States and the European Union in this tariff war. It just shows one of the real consequences of Brexit.”

Griffiths added that workers in his constituency were “feeling very worried and very vulnerable” about the future.

Political divisions

Not all politicians agree that Brexit is to blame. Welsh Conservative MS Samuel Kurtz dismissed the suggestion as “for the birds”, arguing the issue stemmed instead from “Europe’s trade war with Donald Trump’s America”.

Reform UK’s Jason O’Connell went further, blaming “the madness of the drive for net zero” for instability in the sector rather than Brexit.

Wales braces for impact

With the EU’s measures set to come into force early next year, the debate over how to protect Wales’s steel industry is intensifying.

For communities in Port Talbot, Llanelli and Newport, the stakes are high. As the UK Government faces calls to negotiate exemptions or quotas, unions and politicians alike warn that without urgent action, the tariffs could deliver another heavy blow to one of Wales’s most important foundation industries.

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• Llanelli politicians back alternative steel proposals as unions warn over Trostre
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EU’s 50% steel tariffs spark fears for Tata jobs in Port Talbot and Llanelli

Tariffs slash export access

The European Commission has announced plans to halve the amount of steel that can be imported tariff‑free into the bloc. Beyond that quota, a 50% duty will apply.

The EU is the UK’s largest steel export market, worth nearly £3bn a year and accounting for 78% of all UK steel exports. Industry leaders say the move could trigger “perhaps the biggest crisis” the sector has ever faced.

The Commission says the measures are designed to protect European producers from cheap imports from China and Turkey, with executive vice‑president Stéphane Séjourné warning: “Eighteen thousand jobs were lost in the steel sector in 2024. That’s too many, and we had to put a stop to that.”

South Wales in the spotlight

Tata’s Port Talbot works — once the beating heart of Welsh steelmaking — is already undergoing a painful transition. The blast furnaces shut down last year with the loss of more than 2,000 jobs (our coverage here).

The company, backed by £500m of UK government support, is investing £1.25bn in a new electric arc furnace expected by 2027, which it says will cut emissions by 90% and safeguard 5,000 jobs (full story).

The Trostre tinplate works in Llanelli, which supplies packaging steel to major food and drinks companies, is also heavily reliant on EU trade. Local politicians have already warned that Tata’s current plans could put Trostre at risk (read more). Any disruption to exports could undermine the plant’s long‑term viability.

Union anger

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the government must act decisively:

“UK steel must be backed for the long term. The current piecemeal approach isn’t working. Without delay the UK must introduce strict rules to ensure that all UK infrastructure developments and all public sector projects use domestically produced steel.”

The Community union described the EU’s move as an “existential threat”, while UK Steel warned that without a negotiated UK quota, the measures could be “terminal for many of our remaining steel companies”.

Political reaction

Welsh Government called the announcement “extremely concerning” and pledged to work with Westminster to protect jobs and skills. A spokesperson said:

“Wales’ steel industry is a fundamental part of our nation’s future. We will continue supporting workers through the shift to greener production in all ways that we can.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, speaking en route to India, promised “strong support” for the industry but gave no details on whether exemptions or quotas were being sought.

Industry Minister Chris McDonald said the UK was “pushing the European Commission for urgent clarification” and would continue to explore stronger trade measures to protect producers.

The announcement comes just months after the UK secured funding to support Port Talbot’s transition (our report) and amid ongoing criticism of how steelworkers have been treated (coverage here).

Global pressures

The EU move follows similar protectionist steps in the US, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, all responding to a glut of cheap steel from China and Turkey.

UK producers warn the measures could redirect millions of tonnes of steel towards Britain, flooding the domestic market and crushing already fragile firms. Industry sources say the implementation of the EU’s plan could spell the end of UK steelmaking — a fear echoed when Donald Trump’s US administration imposed tariffs in 2024 (our report).

What’s next for Port Talbot and Trostre?

For Port Talbot, the tariffs come at a critical moment in the transition to greener steelmaking. While the new electric arc furnace promises to cut emissions and safeguard jobs, its business model depends on stable export markets.

At Trostre, where tinplate production is closely tied to EU demand, the risk is immediate. Any loss of access could ripple through supply chains, from Llanelli to the food and beverage giants who rely on Welsh steel.

With unions demanding urgent action and both Welsh and UK governments scrambling for answers, the future of steel in South West Wales once again hangs on political negotiations in Brussels and London.

Related Articles

• Tata Steel begins new project at Port Talbot in £1.25bn green plan
• Llanelli politicians back alternative steel proposals as unions warn over Trostre
• Port Talbot communities show resilience amid Tata Steel transition
• Further blow to Welsh steel as Trump introduces 25% tariff

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