Everhot's Guy Goring: UK steel tariffs will drive up costs and disrupt supply chains

As prices rise in anticipation of July's new steel tariffs, the challenges for British manufacturers are only just beginning, says Guy Goring, CEO of Everhot, the Cotswolds-based pioneer of electric heat storage range cookers.

The UK’s new steel tariffs will come into force on 1st July 2026, replacing existing safeguard measures as they expire at the end of June. The policy introduces stricter import quotas, alongside a 50% levy on steel imports exceeding those thresholds, in a bid to support domestic production.

While the intention behind British steel tariffs is to boost domestic competitiveness, the reality for manufacturers like Everhot is far more complex. We would absolutely prefer to use British steel, but the sheet steel we require isn’t currently produced in the UK at the scale or specification we need. The proposed tariffs will only ensure that UK companies can’t compete against European, US, or Asian markets while encouraging imports from those same countries.

While the measures are intended to boost the competitiveness of UK steelmaking, they are also creating unintended challenges for UK businesses that depend on specialist materials not currently produced at scale domestically. 

In anticipation of the tariffs, we have already seen steel prices rise by around 30%, alongside delays from stockholders that are impacting our production timelines. This isn’t just an issue for us – it’s likely to affect manufacturers across the board, from refrigerators to washing machines and beyond.

If the Government is serious about supporting British steel and UK manufacturing, the priority must be reducing energy costs – not introducing niche discounts for specific sectors. Affordable electricity is fundamental. Without it, the UK simply cannot compete with global markets that are built on access to low-cost energy. 

Because Everhot products rely on specialist-grade steel and precision fabrication, fluctuations in material costs and availability have a direct impact on the manufacturing process, but as a proud British company with over 40 years manufacturing experience, we will never move away from using the very best materials when building an Everhot, and we guarantee to always put product quality above all else, with each and every product hand built in our carbon negative factory in the heart of the Cotswolds.

Everhot was created with sustainability and energy efficiency at its core, and to this day we remain focused on generating our own energy through the use of renewables and battery storage, but as every Everhot Electric Heat Storage Range Cooker, Electric Heater & Electric Stove is built to the highest standard, using high grade stainless steel and other top-end materials and components in our manufacturing process, these new tariffs will have an impact. 

And it is the quality of the materials we use that ensures our cookers provide the radiant heat cooking we are famed for, and it is our thick-walled ovens that produce the desired internal cooking temperatures, as well as the gentle warmth that heats the space.