Concerns voiced over UK's Steel Strategy

Shortly after sending this letter, they were informed that Ms Brown-Fuller would visit the S-FABS premises on Friday 19 June.

As part of S-FABS' wider contribution to this issue, they also signed an open letter co-ordinated by the British Constructional Steelwork Association. The letter raised concerns about the government’s proposed 60% reduction in steel quotas and the introduction of a 50% tariff on imported steel. While S-FABS supports the ambition of a strong and sustainable UK steel sector, they strongly feel that these proposals could bring significant consequences for businesses like theirs, jobs, and investment, while harming the wider supply chain the policy should support.

These concerns formed the basis of S-FABS' discussion with Ms Brown-Fuller.

On Friday 19 June, Tony Male was joined by Tom Male, commercial director, and Oli Jacob, production director, as S-FABS explained why it believes that the proposed 50% tariffs are being applied too broadly, particularly as they include products not manufactured at a sufficient scale in the UK. While the strategy aims to increase domestic production so that half of the steel used in the UK is made here, they feel that this transition will drive a sharp rise in input costs with no immediate domestic alternative. Fabricated products also appear to fall outside of the tariff regime, potentially creating an unintended incentive to process steel overseas and undercut UK fabricators.

In an already volatile market, S-FABS warns this approach could result in a loss of industry value, tax revenue, competitiveness, and skilled employment. They also highlight a mismatch between the government’s ambition and the market realities. In many cases, projects require specialist steel products that are not available in the UK, making imports essential to S-FABS and similar businesses' work. Unless the policy reflects this reality, they fear it will likely drive construction and manufacturing costs up with little consideration for the full supply chain.

With Ms Brown-Fuller, S-FABS emphasised its desire for a more balanced approach – one that supports the entire supply chain rather than isolating individual parts of it, and one that doesn’t penalise UK firms for sourcing products unavailable domestically.

After the meeting, Ms Brown-Fuller commented: "It was a pleasure to visit S-FABS in Selsey and hear directly from Tony and the rest of the team about the challenges facing UK steel fabricators. Businesses like this are highly skilled, rooted in our local economy, and essential to the wider construction supply chain. We discussed the concerns raised around the UK Steel Strategy, particularly the potential impact of tariff structures on competitiveness, supply chains, and the availability of key materials for fabrication. Following today's meeting, I will be submitting a series of Written Questions to the Secretary of State, following up on the concerns raised today with the Government directly."

S-FABS claims it is looking forward to continuing this conversation and will always strive for meaningful progress in the UK’s steel industry.