EU halves duty-free steel quota but UK and other partners given better rate

Thirteen countries with a free trade agreement with Brussels have their quota reduced by just one-third

• Business live – latest updates

The EU has halved the amount of duty-free steel it will accept from abroad, but has agreed to higher levels of imports for more than a dozen trading partners including Britain.

The curbs are designed to reduce cheap Chinese steel coming into the bloc. However, 13 countries with a free trade agreement (FTA) with Brussels, including the UK, have had their quota reduced by just one-third.