World steel industry crisis high on the agenda as G7 summit gets underway

The crisis in the world steel industry will be high on the agenda as the G7 summit of international leaders gets under way in earnest in Japan.

The sector employs over 5,00 people in Wales.

David Cameron has signalled his intention to discuss possible extensions to EU tariffs which he believes have been "effective" in reining in Chinese steel-dumping in Europe.

Leaders of the G7 countries - the UK, US, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and Canada - are due to consider measures to counter market distortions caused by over-production in the Chinese industry as part of a broader discussion of the world economy at the Ise-Shima gathering.

They have received an appeal from steel trade bodies around the world - including Britain's UK Steel - warning that more plant closures are possible unless there is action to deal with the problem at source.

Mr Cameron pledged that the UK Government would "continue to work towards trying to get a good outcome" for the Tata steel plant in South Wales, but admitted he could not guarantee a buyer would be found to take it off the hands of its Indian owners.