Meeting with our local MP to rally for change in the UK’s steel sector

In April 2026, our managing director, Tony Male, wrote to Liberal Democrat MP for Chichester, Jess Brown-Fuller. We wanted to speak honestly about our concerns with the government’s proposed Steel Strategy and its potential impact on businesses like ours and the wider UK economy.

Shortly after sending this letter, we received a personal response informing us that Ms Brown-Fuller would visit us on Friday 19 June.

As part of our wider contribution to this issue, S-FABS also signed an open letter coordinated 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 we support the ambition of a strong and sustainable UK steel sector, these proposals could bring significant consequences for businesses, jobs, and investment. They could also harm the wider supply chain the policy is supposed to support.

These concerns formed the basis of our discussion with Ms Brown-Fuller.

On Friday 19 June, Tony was joined by our commercial director, Tom Male, and our production director, Oli Jacob, as we explained why we believe 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, 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, creating an unintended incentive to process steel overseas and undercut UK fabricators.

Beyond the additional pressure on businesses operating in an already volatile market, this approach could result in a loss of industry value, tax revenue, competitiveness, and skilled employment. There is also 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. Unless the policy reflects this reality, it’s likely to drive construction and manufacturing costs up with little done to strengthen the full supply chain.

Following the meeting, Ms Brown-Fuller said: “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.”

With Ms Brown-Fuller, we emphasised the need 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.

We look forward to continuing this conversation and will always strive for meaningful progress in our country’s steel industry.