UK steel safeguard quotas — now officially termed UK steel trade measures — limit how much steel can be imported from each country, tariff-free, within a set period. Once a quota's balance runs out, imports in that category and origin face a 50% tariff until the next period opens. Tap any category below to see the full breakdown by country of origin.

OPEN — comfortable balance remaining WATCH — over ~70% used CRITICAL — over ~90% used or exhaustion imminent EXHAUSTED — balance at zero

Live quota status by category

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Frequently asked questions

What is a steel safeguard / trade measure quota?

It's a government-set limit on how much steel can be imported tariff-free from a given country within a defined period. Once the quota balance for that category and origin is used up, further imports face a 50% tariff until the next period opens.

What happens when a quota is exhausted?

Imports in that category and origin still go ahead, but incur the out-of-quota tariff rate until the next quota period begins.

How often is this data updated?

Automatically, once a day, direct from the UK Government's Trade Tariff service. You can also trigger a manual refresh using the button above.

How do I keep track of a quota that's running low?

Check this page — it updates automatically every day. If a quota you rely on is showing as WATCH or CRITICAL, speak to your local depot early so we can plan around the timing.