PHOTO: AFPLONDON - The UK passed an emergency law on April 12 to stop the last British factory that can make steel from scratch shutting down, allowing the government to take control of the struggling Chinese-owned British Steel plant. The Times newspaper said British Steel workers had seen off a “delegation of Chinese executives” trying to enter critical parts of the works. The British Steel plant - the last UK factory that can make steel from scratch - produces steel crucial for UK industries, including construction and rail transport. British Steel has said US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the sector were partly to blame for the Scunthorpe plant’s difficulties. British Steel has its roots as far back as the Industrial Revolution but took shape in 1967 when the Labour government nationalised the industry, which at the time employed nearly 270,000 people.

Source: The Times April 13, 2025 14:05 UTC