The UK town where Trump’s steel tariffs have workers fearing ‘devastating’ job cuts

The UK town where Trump’s steel tariffs have workers fearing ‘devastating’ job cuts



Posted by theipaper

10 comments

  1. [Donald Trump](https://inews.co.uk/topic/donald-trump?ico=in-line_link)’s proposal to slap a [25 per cent tariff on steel exports](https://inews.co.uk/news/world/trump-to-announce-fresh-25-steel-and-aluminium-tariffs-3527562?ico=in-line_link) to the US could have a “devastating” impact on Port Talbot, a former mayor has warned.

    John Warman, an ex-steelworker and councillor on Neath Town Council, fears the US President’s proposal could cost more jobs just months after around 2,000 workers were axed when the final blast furnace at the[ Welsh town’s plant shut.](https://inews.co.uk/news/tata-port-talbot-thousands-jobs-lost-2862998?srsltid=AfmBOoryaJEuMHA7_LR2OUF9rH9NXgbrVZYpNabpsDRPJbP3JTKkBmwS&ico=in-line_link)

    Its closure meant the [Tata Steel ](https://inews.co.uk/topic/tata-steel?srsltid=AfmBOormfW67O-d–JVqQl5q3U-UmCirZqXdU0XOotRy94aJ3LU9n2SW&ico=in-line_link)plant was no longer making its own virgin steel from scratch, with a new greener electric arc furnace which melts scrap metal to be built at the site in a [£500m taxpayer-backed deal.](https://inews.co.uk/news/business/port-talbot-steel-goes-green-with-electric-blast-furnaces-but-at-a-huge-cost-in-jobs-3271355?srsltid=AfmBOopNw0byRBqnfUanGG-vkimBTRhPbwGR0RKeo9imL1vIx86XePfR&ico=in-line_link)

    Until then, slabs will now be imported from India and the Netherlands to be rolled and treated at Port Talbot, which had been home to the[ UK’s biggest steel works](https://inews.co.uk/topic/steel-industry?srsltid=AfmBOooNq5TmG5lHfFvGz0ivvHsjKDFfXsuFGzs_Q7FNJ0DAPqrGDDwz&ico=in-line_link).

    But concerns have been raised that [Trump’s trade battle](https://inews.co.uk/topic/tariffs?srsltid=AfmBOopoRrkmFKakGOQFCEfwkqjN7XGSTzPk8ari2UJyLAYsB-tyTv1x&ico=in-line_link) could jeopardise that investment if the President carries through with his threat.

    Warman, ex-mayor of Neath Port Talbot, told *The i Paper: “*I’m deeply concerned about it. I worked in Port Talbot for over 30 years in the steel plant.

    “Port Talbot has always been the backbone of the community of West Glamorgan. It’s not just the people that work in the steel works. It’s all the satellite firms or contracts that work for them as well.

    “It’s the contractors as well that would suffer. It would have a devastating effect.”

    He added he would be prepared to protest at the US embassy in London over Trump’s tariffs if they hit the steel industry.

    Alun Llewelyn, deputy leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, urged the Government to obtain clarification “as soon as possible” on if any tariffs would affect steel exports to the US “from our steel plants”.

    “[Steel ](https://inews.co.uk/topic/steel?srsltid=AfmBOooZ9WErs1_gifXXzrn6wDAx3Qw2N5tIHaFYDutn5IKnqBuIlza8&ico=in-line_link)is still a very important part of the economy of the Port Talbot area and Wales and we need to maintain markets for our high-quality products,” he said.

    “We need a period of stability as work is due to begin in the near future on the new electric arc furnace following the closure of Port Talbot’s blast furnaces.”

    Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster spokesperson David Chadwick warned of the potential impact of tariffs on an already fragile industry.

    He urged the Government to “protect what is left of the Welsh steel industry”, which he said had been “left to the wolves” by previous Conservative governments.

  2. the UK Government has been left so weak by Brexit, that we have no choice but to just “take it”.

    Mark my words the UK Government will never respond to Trump tariffs in the same way alot of the world has. We will NEVER have the energy of Canada or Denmark.

  3. Thought Tata were shutting that place down way before Trump became president again , they were talking about it last year

  4. The UK already levies a 25% tariff on steel imports, so Trump is just levelling the playing field. We import more steel from the US than we export to the US. The EU also levies steel tariffs.

  6. It’s always seemed likely to me Tata will not build new furnaces at the site and close it completely irregardless. 
    They are just going through the motions so they can pull out with minimal political backlash.

  7. Trump is only doing all of this to create jobs for his people. Makes sense really as it will help the economy over there. If the UK did the same maybe we wouldn’t import huge amounts, costing millions and billions each year.

  8. Sometimes i truly believe is the people being interviewed are actually real.

    Tata cut jobs because it was cheaper to import steel from places like india than it was to make it here.
    This has been discussed for years.
    It eventually happened a few months ago.
    This has nothing to do with Trump, but including his name in the click bait title then adding a “pay wall” ……seems like your “impartial” media outlet is just going for a money grab.

  10. The fall of Port Talbot’s steel industry is down to global economics (meaning our steel isn’t very competitive) and our governments not subsidising/supporting it like other countries have when their industries are not competitive or are considered so important that they won’t allow them to fail.

    It’s not Trump’s fault.

    But even if it was, what are we supposed to do about it? We didn’t get to vote in their election.

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