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Government intervention at British Steel was hugely significant (“Navy on alert to escort fuel in steel crisis”, Apr 13). The sector has often been in crisis but consecutive governments failed to take the bold actions required to set it on a sustainable footing. Cross-party recognition of the importance of the industry was a welcome first step — but now words must turn into action.
We have seen steelmaking capability dwindle in the UK, with increasing import dependency that imperils national resilience. Globally the steel sector is in crisis, exacerbated by overcapacity and oversupply. Much of this has been driven by China, which produces and consumes more than half of the world’s steel but where demand has plummeted.
Steelmaking expansion is
