Tata workers on 'light duties' as imported steel floods market

Workers at Tata Steel’s Llanwern plant have reportedly faced “light duties” after cheaper imported steel flooded the UK market, according to union officials and the company. The situation follows changes to tariffs announced in June, including quotas on certain imported steel products and taxes that make some imports more expensive—yet imports still appear to be surging. Community Union president Andrew Gutteridge, who worked at Llanwern for more than 30 years, said galvanized steel imports from Vietnam, South Korea and India increased sharply after the tariff shift in July, cutting Llanwern’s UK market share to about 25%. Tata said the measures are significantly impacting operations, and Welsh officials said they are monitoring the response.