This is a specialized legislative research report published by the National Diet Library in the "Foreign Legislation" series in August 2025, dealing with legal analysis of the UK Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act enactment. It is authored by Yayoi Kitamura as part of a special feature on "Regulation and Protection of Business Activities."
Background and Significance of the Act
The UK steel industry has long faced declining international competitiveness and structural challenges, particularly the influx of cheap steel products from China, increased costs due to environmental regulation strengthening, and rising energy prices, threatening the sustainability of domestic steel industry. In response, the UK government proceeded to enact special measures legislation aimed at protecting and enhancing the competitiveness of the domestic steel industry.
Framework for Business Activity Regulation and Protection
This feature article is positioned as part of comprehensive analysis themed "Regulation and Protection of Business Activities," examining in detail how the UK's steel industry protection policy relates to other major countries' industrial policies and how consistency with international trade law and competition law is ensured.
Specific Content of Legal Measures
The Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act is presumed to have legislated multifaceted support measures including direct financial support to domestic steel producers, temporary tariff measures on imported steel products, tax incentives for environmental technology introduction, and employment maintenance and skill development support. These measures aim to construct a legal framework that protects domestic industry while enhancing international competitiveness while maintaining consistency with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
International and Trade Law Considerations
The article analyzes from legal perspectives the significance of this Act in the context of new trade policy post-Brexit, impacts on steel product trade relations with EU countries, comparative analysis with US steel tariff policies, and aspects as countermeasures to China's steel export policies.
Evaluation as Industrial Policy
This Act is positioned as a symbol of policy transformation where the UK, based on free market economy principles, strengthens national intervention in strategic industrial sectors, evaluated as legislation with composite policy objectives including maintaining manufacturing base in the digital age, protecting key material industries important for national security, and supporting transition to green economy.
The article provides specialized analysis from both legislative technology and policy effectiveness perspectives on how the UK's steel industry protection policy might influence the international trade environment and similar policies in other countries within the tide of international industrial protectionism.