On October 8, 2020, the WTO Committee on Safeguards released the notification of safeguards submitted to it by the British delegation. On October 1, 2020, in response to the application of the Secretary of State for International Trade, the UK initiated a case investigation on the safeguard measures for imported steel products, and examined whether the British safeguard measures for steel products should be adjusted, extended or cancelled after the end of the transition period of brexit at 23:00 GMT on December 31, 2020. The UK investigation agency is expected to make a final ruling by June 30, 2021.

On March 26, 2018, the European Commission issued a notice to initiate investigation on safeguard measures for imported steel products. On January 4, 2019, the Committee on Safeguard Measures of the World Trade Organization (WTO) announced that the European Union decided to levy 25% safeguard measures tax on imported steel products outside the quota before February 4, 2019. The case involved steel products under the EU CN (Common Nomenclature) codes 72081000, 72091500, 72091610, 7210200, 72107080, 720918999, 7208512020, 7219100, 72143000, 72142200000, 722211111, 72210010, 7213100, 72163100, 7306306 3041, 7306 6110, 7304110, 7304 5112, 7305100, 7306110, 7306110 and 7217110 10. On February 14, 2020, the European Commission issued an announcement to launch the second review investigation on the EU steel product safeguard measures case.