The European Union has agreed to double tariffs and cut duty-free import quotas for steel by 47% from July, a measure aimed primarily at curbing a surge in cheap Chinese steel but one that also threatens British exports to the bloc. The EU's largest steel market is the UK, which exports around 1.8 million tonnes annually — roughly 10% of the new annual import cap of 18.7 million tonnes — and, unlike Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (which are exempt as members of the European Economic Area), Britain will be subject to the tariffs as a consequence of Brexit. UK Steel, the British industry body, is pressing for a bilateral agreement to preserve duty-free access, arguing there is a "mutually beneficial deal" to be struck, while the steelworkers' union Community has warned the government to guard against the EU diverting excess steel into the UK market.