According to the association, the country’s steel producers make about 2.6 million metric tons annually for export into the EU, tonnage that would suddenly be subject to additional cost and logistics complexities were the the U.K. to leave the European Union in March without any sort of withdrawal agreement. 

“With such huge volumes of steel moving across the border (including an estimated 1,400 trucks and six trains each week), any delay and additional checks/administration would have a major impact on the sector. Estimates on the cost of this could be in the region of an additional 4% to 5% on total costs for each metric ton that crosses the English Channel – an estimated £70 million cost to the industry each year,” the association said.