NFB responds to US tariffs

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) – a trade body that represents small to medium-sized builders and contractors in England and Wales – has agreed with the UK government that the UK and the EU should be exempt from the steel and aluminium tariffs that were recently imposed by the US.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said the tariffs were a deeply concerning move for the construction industry

He said, “While the NFB campaigns for improvements to payment, procurement and planning processes, the availability and price of materials also has a substantial impact on the ability of construction companies to deliver.”

NFB members who are already looking outside the EU for material suppliers would now be faced with an even greater challenge, according to the NFB.

“What they are buying, and where, provides a good indicator as to how home-grown markets can be developed. The production of materials that are not available at competitive prices will determine, to a reasonable extent, the price which will be imposed to the economy as a whole.”