TRA launches review of cast iron articles (street gratings and drain access covers)

These measures are among those inherited from the EU system and the TRA is reviewing them to establish whether they are still suitable for the UK’s needs. The review will establish whether the measures are needed to protect the UK industry for these products).

These products are the cast-iron covers and gratings commonly seen on road surfaces and pavements to cover access to ground or sub-surface systems. These access covers have been around since 3500BC, with the Ancient Romans as early adopters. Modern drainage system access covers were developed during the 19th century and along with their vital functional role, act as historic markers for streets and can reveal a lot about the history of an area.

The TRA’s review

The TRA’s investigation begins on Wed 23 November and will review the UK production of these products and levels of imports. The TRA will look at a period of investigation from 1 October 2021 until 30 September 2022, while the injury period will be 1 October 2018 until 30 September 2022. You can find out more about the product types in scope of the TRA’s review on the TRA’s public file.

Imports to the UK market from China were valued at around £3.3 million in 2021. China is however only the third-largest importer of this product to the UK over recent years, with Turkey as the largest. Businesses that may be affected by this review (such as importers or exporters of the products or UK producers of similar products) can contribute to the review process by registering their interest in the case on the TRA’s online case platform by 8 December 2022. All new developments in the case will be posted on the TRA’s public file. View further information on the TRA’s current investigations, including transition reviews like this one.

Background information

• The Trade Remedies Authority is the UK body that investigates whether new trade remedy measures are needed to counter unfair import practices and unforeseen surges of imports.
• Dumping occurs when goods are imported into a country and sold at a price that is below their normal value in their country of export.
• Transition reviews into former EU measures determine if a transitioned measure should be varied or revoked according to whether the continuing application of an anti-dumping or countervailing duty is necessary or sufficient to offset the dumping of imports of subsidised goods into the UK; and whether there would be injury to the UK producers of those goods if an anti-dumping duty or countervailing duty were no longer to apply to those goods.
• Trade remedy investigations were carried out by the EU Commission on the UK’s behalf until the UK left the EU. 44 EU trade remedy measures of interest to UK producers were carried across into UK law when the UK left the EU and the TRA is currently reviewing each one to establish whether it is suitable for UK needs.
• Period of Investigation – when we are investigating dumping and subsidy cases, we will use a period of investigation of around a year. We will aim for the end point to be as close as possible to the date of initiation. However, we will decide this on a case-by-case basis.
• Period of injury – the injury period will usually cover the period of investigation and normally the 36 months immediately before this (i.e., 48 months in total). TRA investigators look at evidence of injury over a longer period than the general period of investigation so that they can assess trends and other factors in more detail than if they looked at a single year.