Protecting UK businesses from injury

The Government has today announced that it will begin reviewing 43 EU trade remedy measures, which were deemed important to UK industries and should be maintained, following a Call to Evidence last year. This will be carried out by the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID).

Trade remedies will be overseen by a new Trade Remedies Authority that will soon be established to protect UK businesses from injury caused by unfair trading practices, such as dumping and subsidies and unforeseen surges in imports after we leave the EU.

Examples of those trade remedy measures that will be reviewed by TRID following the Call for Evidence include:

• anti-dumping duties of up to 36.1% on imports of ceramic kitchen and tableware from China;
• anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties of up to €62 per tyre on imports of bus and lorry tyres from China; and
• anti-dumping duties of up to 35.6% on imports of aluminium foil in small rolls.

TRID They will invite industry and stakeholders to participate in the process, including international exporters.

Simon Walker CBE has today been announced as Chair-Designate of the TRA and is expected to take up the position in early March.

Trade Remedies Authority Chair-Designate Simon Walker said:

I am very pleased to be taking up the Chair of the Trade Remedies Authority. Britain’s economic future will be determined by the ability of UK businesses to compete vigorously in international marketplaces.

Maintaining the interests of consumers while ensuring that producers are not handicapped by dumping and other unfair practices is going to be a vital balance as Britain embarks upon an independent trading regime.