Its funny that the UK threatens the EU with retaliatory tarrifs, while trying to suck up to the US when the US imposed tarrifs on the UK (along with everyone else).

The UK has even less leverage over the EU than they do over the US when it comes to trade. The EU is the UK's largest trading partner by far, it would destroy the UK economy to start a trade war with the EU.

As the steel dirwctor says in the article:

“This is perhaps the biggest crisis the UK steel industry has ever faced,” UK Steel Director-General Gareth Stace said in October. “The government must go all-out to leverage our trading relationship with the European Union to secure UK country quotas or potentially face disaster.”