The two line graphs compare steel demand, domestic production and imports in the UK, as well as employment in its steel industry, over the period from 1970 to 2000.
Overall, total steel demand and domestic production both decreased despite repeated fluctuations, whereas imports generally increased. Employment in the steel industry also decreased significantly, with a particularly sharp fall in the early 1980s.
In 1970, total UK steel demand stood at approximately 19 million tonnes, compared with around 17 million tonnes for domestic production. Both figures rose to peaks of roughly 20 million and 17 million tonnes in the mid-1970s, respectively, before falling to about 12 million and 9 million tonnes by 1980. They then fluctuated, reaching around 15 million and 10 million tonnes in the late 1980s, before ending at approximately 13 million and 7 million tonnes in 2000.
Turning to steel imports, the figure increased from less than 1 million tonnes in 1970 to around 4 million in 1980, before reaching approximately 7 million in 2000. By contrast, the number of people working in the steel industry fell from about 200,000 in 1970 to 150,000 in 1980. The sharpest decrease occurred shortly afterwards, when employment fell to approximately 70,000 by 1982, before decreasing more gradually to around 30,000 in 2000.