Overview

• The UK government passed emergency legislation on April 12, 2025, to take control of British Steel's Scunthorpe operations after Jingye Group refused a £500m aid package.
• The intervention aims to prevent the shutdown of the UK’s last virgin steel production facility, which employs 3,500 workers.
• Officials are grappling with raw material shortages that threaten the continued operation of the blast furnaces.
• The government has introduced a 'high trust bar' for future Chinese investments in critical sectors, signaling a strategic shift in policy.
• Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds criticized previous administrations for allowing Chinese involvement in sensitive industries like steel.