The European Commission has applied a safeguard measure on imports of certain steel products into Northern Ireland from the UK, effective 1 January 2024, Kallanish notes.
The UK has been allocated tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for supply into Northern Ireland of stainless hot rolled sheets and strips (category 8), stainless cold rolled sheets and strips (category 9), rebar (category 13), large welded tube (category 25.a) and non-alloy wire (category 28). Once these quotas have been exhausted, the “other countries” quota can be used for transfers of goods from the UK to Northern Ireland.
The UK has the following TRQ quotas for Northern Ireland. Stainless hot rolled sheet has 13 tonnes in the first quarter of 2024 and the same in Q2. Stainless cold rolled sheet has 31t each in Q1 and Q2. Rebar has 2,127t in each quarter, welded tube has 14t and non-alloy wire 187t. Any UK-origin imports exceeding the TRQs will incur a 25% safeguard duty.
The Commission published a notice on 6 November explaining the new TRQs were necessary. It did not receive any comments from any interested party.
To calculate the adequate volume of the new dedicated TRQs that would ensure, as foreseen in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2777, the economic viability of these direct transfers to Northern Ireland from other parts of the UK, in view of the specific circumstances in Northern Ireland, the Commission says it analysed the available statistics to calculate the volume of transfers to Northern Ireland from other parts of the UK.
These new TRQs are specifically for UK-origin material and therefore do not affect the allocation or volumes of existing TRQs for third countries into the Union territory.
Adam Smith Poland
