ALL steel jobs in Britain are at risk following a US decision to impose tariffs on imports of steel products, union boss Michael Leahy said today.

President George Bush's action will result in steel intended for America being 'dumped' in Europe and Britain, resulting in a trade war among producers.

The only solution will be for Britain and the rest of Europe to hit back by penalising America with similar measures. And Wales' First Minister Rhodri Morgan was told by Newport East MP Alan Howarth (pictured) to launch Newport's fightback following last year's job losses, amid fears that more jobs may be shed following America's decision.

ISTC general secretary Mr Leahy said he welcomed the intention of the government and the European Commission to counter President Bush's announcement.

But the UK steel industry had already reduced capacity and jobs on a huge scale. "If the government and the Commission do not match rhetoric with action the steel industry is again plunged into crisis," he said.

"Steelworkers aren't afraid of competition - they are among the most productive in the world - but that competition must be fair."

Corus last year shed more than 2,000 jobs at its Ebbw Vale and Llanwern plants and can ill afford further pressure on trading.

The company said it would be asking the government to insist that the European Union introduce similar measures "as a matter of great urgency" in order to protect the UK's domestic steel producers.

Industry secretary Patricia Hewitt promised Welsh MPs and steelworkers that the government would back moves to take the United States to court. The assurances came after Newport East MP Alan Howarth warned that jobs would be hit.

"Any swamping on the UK market of cheap imports displaced from the United States would be disastrous for us," he said. He told Welsh secretary Paul Murphy that while the decision by the National Assembly to establish an urban regeneration company in Newport was welcome, people in the town were becoming impatient at the lack of progress.

Blaenau Gwent MP Llew Smith said Corus had refused government help to prevent the closure of Ebbw Vale and the end of steelmaking at Llanwern and its chairman, Sir Brian Moffat, had also viteoed a buy-out by the ISTC union.