THE SNP have called on the Tories to heed fresh warnings from UK Steel and rule out a no-deal Brexit.
Clare Adamson, the MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, said the UK Government were risking the future of the industry in Scotland.
UK Steel has advised MPs that the sector would be “severely disrupted” by extra paperwork, tariffs and border delays – threatening jobs across the country, including the Dalzell and Clydebridge plants which were saved from closure in 2016 by the Scottish Government.
As reported in the Financial Times, departure from the EU without an agreement would mean tariffs in markets accounting for 97% of the UK steel industry’s outbound shipments, up from about 15% at present.
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Last year, the European Commission announced it was increasing import tariffs on Chinese steel.
However with the Tories intent on dragging the UK out of the single market and customs union these protections could be compromised – a move UK Steel has also previously spoken out against.
“If anyone thinks a no-deal Brexit can be good for the manufacturing sector in the UK, we’re under no illusion it’s anything but that for the steel sector,” said the director of UK Steel, Gareth Stace.
Adamson, who was a member of the Scottish Steel Taskforce which helped save jobs at the Clydebridge and Dalzell plants, added: “With the future of Scotland’s steel industry at stake, it’s time the UK government took heed of the warnings from UK Steel and ruled out a no-deal Brexit.
“An extreme Tory Brexit would mean tariffs on Scotland’s steel exports, putting jobs at Clydebridge and Dalzell on the line. “Brexit remains the biggest threat to Scotland’s economy, putting the future of businesses across the country at risk. It is high time the Tories stood up for our steel workers and stopped their No Deal brinkmanship.”
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