Asked whether he is satisfied with the current position on steel tariffs and quotas, and whether the government should reconsider its approach before the measures are reviewed next July, Kinnock said: “I am not at all happy with the position on quotas and tariffs. There is clear evidence that the British steel industry is being undercut.”

In July this year, under Keir Starmer’s administration, the U.K. implemented a new steel trade measure, replacing the expiring EU-era safeguard regime with a 51% reduction in overall tariff-free quota volumes compared to previous levels.

But Kinnock complained that some of the original measures were “diluted,” resulting in plants like Llanwern being undercut by imports of galvanized steel from places like Vietnam, Turkey, and South Korea.

“We absolutely have to do something about that,” he said. “That is one of my top priorities as the Secretary of State for Wales.”

Kinnock added that he is liaising closely with Sarwar on the issue, adding that an independent auditor is also assessing the damage caused by potential dumping.

“I'm confident that we will get a result from that, which will enable us to have a more robust trade defense regime,” he said.