LONDON — British and EU negotiators are racing to avoid a post-Brexit rupture over the steel trade before new protectionist regimes kick in on July 1.
U.K. ministers hope the talks can pave the way for a U.K.-EU steel alliance. But Brussels has yet to buy in.
As negotiators find common ground on new import quotas before the new regimes take effect, U.K. Trade Minister Chris Bryant is pushing Brussels to go further — by endorsing a preliminary steel alliance at a key U.K.-EU reset meeting on July 22, two EU diplomats told POLITICO.
“Bryant and his civil servants are making a plea for a steel alliance,” said one of the diplomats, who was granted anonymity to discuss the high-stakes talks. “The commission is, and they’ve put it very carefully, in exploratory talks with — amongst others — the U.K. about what they call ringfencing.”
