With Tata Steel putting its Port Talbot steelworks up for sale and saying the value of its UK steel operations are "almost zero", clamours for nationalisation of the ailing industry are growing.
This briefing paper discusses the following questions:
- How important is the steel industry to the UK?
- Why is the UK steel industry failing?
- What's going on in China?
- Could tariffs be a solution?
- Should we nationalise the steel industry?
- Why can't we bail out steel when we bailed out the banks?
- Is domestically produced steel important for national security?
- What can be done?