Tata Steel CEO Rajesh Nair has called on the UK government to swiftly finalize a trade deal with the US, warning that delays could hurt the company’s export competitiveness. Since shutting down Port Talbot’s blast furnaces last October to shift to greener electric-arc production, Tata has relied on steel imports from India and the Netherlands.

However, US President Trump’s steep 50% steel tariff looms, risking Tata’s US market access unless the UK secures an exemption. A recent UK-US trade agreement temporarily lowered the duty to 25%, but future exemptions may require steel to be "melted and poured" in the UK, a problem for Tata, which processes imported slabs into high-value products.

Nair stressed that Tata’s US customers depend on these specialist goods, urging the UK to avoid restrictive rules. With Trump threatening to hike tariffs by July 9, Tata stands ready to provide assurances on its supply chain to safeguard its exports.