Asked whether the government was considering imposing tariffs which may be illegal, cabinet minister Brandon Lewis said the government was focused on “ensuring we work within international law.”

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme, the Northern Ireland Secretary said he was “not saying the government is going to do this” but that “this is something that is supported across the sector” and the government has “got to look at all these things” and “get the balance right.”

UK Steel, the lobby group for the British steel industry, said it was confident extending the steel controls would be “WTO compliant” and “there would be no legitimate reason for challenges”.

The Department for International Trade said it is consulting with foreign counterparts in adherence with World Trade Organization rules, before making a final decision on whether to extend the safeguards.

UK Steel said ending the import controls would expose British steelmakers to a distorted global marketplace and that could cause as much as £150m a year in damage.

Also speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said Labour would support the prime minister in the tariffs being continued.

“It’s an extension that both the EU and the Americans have continued with so we would support him,” he said.

“Steel workers support him, the unions support him, industry supports him and Labour does support him.”

But the Conservative MP and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Tom Tugendhat tweeted today: “Protectionism is destructive to all of us. Tariffs are un-Conservative because they’re a tax on consumers.”