英えい議会ぎかい 国内こくない最大さいだいの製鉄せいてつ所しょの経営けいえいを救済きゅうさい 緊急きんきゅう法案ほうあんを可決かけつ

The British Parliament has passed an emergency bill to rescue the management of the countrys largest steel plant.

The government is considering the nationalization of steel mills to avoid reliance on imports from countries like China.

This steelworks is located in Scunthorpe, central England, and is the only one in the country under British Steel that produces steel from raw materials instead of melting scrap.

In 2020, a Chinese steel manufacturer acquired the company, but due to rising energy prices and the U.S. Trump administrations decision in March to impose a 25% tariff on steel products, they were considering halting operations of the two blast furnaces as the deficit grew.

In response to this, on the 12th, Prime Minister Starmer convened the parliament, which had been in recess for the Christian Easter, and passed an emergency bill that allows the government to intervene in the management to continue operations of the steelworks and maintain the employment of approximately 3,000 workers.

In this context, Trade Minister Reynolds stated that nationalization of the steelworks could be a strong option in the long term.

According to local media, the parliament has been convened on a Saturday during recess only in times of emergency, such as the Falklands War in 1982, and this is the sixth time since World War II.

If this steel plant is closed, the UK would become the only G7 country to lose the ability to produce iron from raw materials domestically, raising concerns about dependence on imports from countries like China. Therefore, the government has taken extraordinary measures to maintain domestic production of iron, which is essential for infrastructure and national defense.