Guidance

Trade remedies transition policy

Trade remedies protect domestic industries from unfair practices around imports. The UK’s own independent trade policy includes a trade remedies system.

Trade remedies protect domestic industries against injury caused by unfair trade practices (imports of dumped or subsidised goods) or unforeseen surges in imports. They usually take the form of an additional duty placed on imports of specific products.

The Department for International Trade assessed which of the existing EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy trade remedies mattered to the UK. This was done via a Call for Evidence consultation with UK industry and other interested parties, including international industry.

Trade remedy investigations will continue to be carried out by the EU on behalf of the UK and all existing EU trade remedy measures will continue to be applied at the UK’s border until 31 December 2020.

We will continue to monitor any new trade remedy measures introduced by the EU before the UK begins operating its own independent trade policy. Where there is known UK producer interest in any new measure we will reach out to the relevant parties to assess whether the measure should be transitioned or terminated on 31 December 2020.

Transition reviews

All anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures that the UK keeps will undergo a UK-wide transition review led by the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID). Transition reviews will assess whether the current measure is appropriate for the UK market and whether it should be varied changed or terminated. For further information please read our Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) dumping, subsidisation and safeguarding investigations guidance document and TRID’s operational guidance.

Before starting a transition review TRID will ask us to publish a Notice of Determination . We will publish Notices of Determination as and when they are required. Once we have published a Notice of Determination TRID will then issue a Notice of Initiation to formally begin the transition review of the measure.

You can view all live and completed transition reviews on the Trade Remedies Service.

For more information about TRID or to express your views about any current trade remedies, email contact@traderemedies.gov.uk.

Safeguard measures

The UK has committed to maintaining the EU safeguard measures where there is a UK interest in doing so. As with the maintained definitive anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures, TRID will conduct a UK-wide transition review to assess whether the measure is appropriate for the UK market, and as such whether it should be varied or terminated.

Steel safeguard measures

DIT has identified 19 product categories covered by the existing EU steel safeguard measure where UK production exists. These would therefore need to be transitioned in order to provide continuity to UK producers.

The remaining associated product categories, where no UK production exists, will not be transitioned and the tariff rate quotas will therefore cease to apply at 11pm on 31 December 2020.

UK specific tariff rate quotas

In order to ensure the transitioned safeguard measures work specifically for the UK from the first day it is operating an independent trade policy, DIT also collected information regarding historical trade flows of steel products between 2015 and 2017 that fall under this measure in order to permit a recalculation of the tariff rate quotas (TRQs).

The UK specific TRQs were recalculated using the same method deployed by the European Commission. The UK specific TRQs for the 19 product categories the UK is transitioning are available in the Secretary of State’s Notice of Determination for this measure.

Steel products to be transitioned or terminated

Below is the list of the 26 EU product categories against which the UK will either transition or terminate within the safeguard measure.

Product category number Steel Product Categories subject to EU Safeguard Measures Subject to UK Safeguard Measures?
1 Non-Alloy and Other Alloy Hot Rolled Sheets and Strips Maintain
2 Non-Alloy and Other Alloy Cold Rolled Sheets Maintain
3A Electrical Sheets (other than GOES) Terminate
3B Electrical Sheets (other than GOES) Terminate
4A Metallic Coated Sheets Maintain
4B Metallic Coated Sheets Maintain
5 Organic Coated Sheets Maintain
6 Tin Mill products Maintain
7 Non-Alloy and Other Alloy Quarto Plates Maintain
8 Stainless Hot Rolled Sheets and Strips Terminate
9 Stainless Cold Rolled Sheets and Strips Terminate
10 Stainless Hot Rolled Quarto Plates Terminate
12 Non-Alloy and Other Alloy Merchant Bars and Light Sections Maintain
13 Rebars Maintain
14 Stainless Bars and Light Sections Maintain
15 Stainless Wire Rod Maintain
16 Non-Alloy and Other Alloy Wire Rod Maintain
17 Angles, Shapes and Sections of Iron or Non Alloy Steel Maintain
18 Sheet Piling Terminate
19 Railway Material Maintain
20 Gas pipes Maintain
21 Hollow sections Maintain
22 Seamless Stainless Tubes and Pipes Terminate
24 Other Seamless Tubes Terminate
25A Large welded tubes Maintain
25B Large welded tubes Maintain
26 Other Welded Pipes Maintain
27 Non-Alloy and other alloy cold finished bars Maintain
28 Non-Alloy Wire Maintain

Note: Product Category 11, Grain-Oriented Electrical Sheet, and Product Category 23, Bearing Tubes and Pipes, are not listed because the EU concluded that these product categories should not be subject to a safeguard measure.

Further information relating to a break-down of the country specific and residual TRQs per product category can be found in the Secretary of State’s Notice of Determination for this measure.

Next steps and transition review

The UK specific TRQs on the 19 product categories outlined above will be brought into effect at 11pm on 31 December 2020, following the publication a taxation notice from the Secretary of State for International Trade.

The Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate – as the UK’s competent trade remedies authority pending the establishment of the Trade Remedies Authority – will conduct a transition reviews of the definitive safeguard measures across the 19 steel product categories to ensure these measures fully reflect the UK market situation.

These reviews will consider whether it is appropriate to vary the tariff rate quota associated with the product category on a country by country basis. Further information can be found at the Trade Remedies Investigation Directorate operational guidance on the transition review of EU steel safeguard measures.

Anti-dumping and anti-subsidy trade remedy measures

The table summarises which existing definitive EU anti-dumping or anti-subsidy trade remedy measures the UK will maintain or terminate as part of its independent trade policy. The UK will continue to impose the same trade remedy measures as the EU until the end of the transition period when we cease to apply the Common External Tariff.

If you are aware of any changes to UK production and/or market share of the products covered by any of the trade remedy measures listed below, please contact traderemedies@trade.gov.uk.

Expiry reviews and the UK government transition policy

A measure marked with a ‘*’ in the below table signifies that the European Commission is currently conducting an Expiry Review on this measure. An Expiry Review determines if the measure were to expire, whether dumping and injury would probably continue or recur. An Expiry Review can result only in the repeal or continuation of the duties in force. If measures are maintained, they will normally remain in force for another five years. An Expiry Review cannot lead to a change in the level or form of the duties; these can only be changed by the European Commission as the result of an Interim Review.

Should the European Commission conclude that a measure which the UK is transitioning should be terminated (either by letting the measure lapse or via an Expiry Review), then this measure will fall away and will not be transitioned over to the UK’s independent trade remedies system.

Recent updates to measures being maintained or terminated

This table will be updated to reflect changes at the EU-level in the measures the UK will maintain or terminate. Recent updates are stated below:

  • the EU merged the anti-dumping measures on Ironing Boards (AD506 and AD548)
  • the EU did not renew the Bioethanol measure against the USA (AD580), meaning that it fell away from the Call for Evidence findings – the Call for Evidence concluded that this measure should be transitioned
  • the EU did not renew the Manganese Dioxide measure against South Africa (AD520), meaning that it fell away from the Call for Evidence findings – the Call for Evidence concluded that this measure should be terminated
  • the EU imposed an anti-dumping measure on Urea ammonium nitrate (AD649) – DIT assessed this measure, working with UK producers and sector stakeholders to do so, and determined that this measure should be terminated as it did not meet the criteria of the Call for Evidence
  • the EU imposed an anti-dumping measure on Indonesian Biodiesel (AS650) – DIT assessed this measure, working with UK producers and sector stakeholders to do so, and determined that this measure should be maintained as it met criteria of the Call for Evidence
Name of measure Case code (AD – Anti dumping, AS – Anti subsidy) Countries against which measures are applied Terminate or maintain the measure once the transition period has expired?
Acesulfame potassium AD611 China Terminate
Aluminium foil AD610 Russia Terminate
Aluminium foil in large rolls AD534 China Terminate
Aluminium foil in small rolls AD582 China Maintain
Aluminium radiators AD578 China Terminate
Aluminium road wheels AD541 China Maintain
Ammonium nitrate AD330 Russia Maintain*
Aspartame (sweetener) AD621 China Terminate
Barium carbonate AD475 China Terminate
Bicycles AD287 China (extended to Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Tunisia) Terminate
Biodiesel AS644 Argentina Maintain
Biodiesel AD531 USA (extended to Canada) Maintain
Biodiesel AS532 USA (extended to Canada) Maintain
Biodiesel AS650 Indonesia Maintain
Cast iron articles AD637 China Maintain
Ceramic tableware / Kitchenware AD586 China Maintain
Ceramic tiles AD560 China Maintain
Chamois leather AD496 China Maintain
Citric acid AD522 China (extended to Malaysia) Terminate*
Citrus fruits AD524 China Terminate*
Coated fine paper AD552 China Terminate
Coated fine paper AS557 China Terminate
Cold rolled flat steel products AD620 China Maintain
Cold rolled flat steel products AD620 Russia Maintain
Continuous filament glass fibres AD549 China Maintain
Continuous filament glass fibres* AS603 China Maintain
Corrosion resistant steel AD639 China Maintain
Electric bicycles AD643 China Terminate
Electric bicycles AS646 China Terminate
Ferro silicon AD516 China Terminate*
Ferro silicon AD516 Russia Terminate*
Grain orientated flat-rolled products of electrical steel (GOES) AD608 China Maintain
Grain orientated flat-rolled products of electrical steel (GOES) AD608 Japan Maintain
Grain orientated flat-rolled products of electrical steel (GOES) AD608 Korea Maintain
Grain orientated flat-rolled products of electrical steel (GOES) AD608 Russia Maintain
Grain orientated flat-rolled products of electrical steel (GOES) AD608 USA Maintain
Graphite electrode systems AD469 India Terminate
Graphite electrode systems AS470 India Terminate
Hand pallet trucks and their essential parts AD474 China (extended to Thailand and Vietnam) Terminate
Heavy (quarto) plate AD631 China Maintain
High tenacity polyester yarns AD547 China Terminate
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AD635 Brazil Maintain
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AD630 China Maintain
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AS634 China Maintain
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AD635 Iran Maintain
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AD635 Russia Maintain
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AD635 Ukraine Maintain
Ironing boards AD548 China Maintain
Lever arch mechanisms AD491 China Terminate
Lightweight thermal paper (65gr/m2 or less) AD629 Korea Terminate
Melamine AD554 China Terminate
Molybdenum wires AD540 China (extended to Malaysia) Terminate
Monosodium glutamate AD521 China Terminate
Monosodium glutamate AD602 Indonesia Terminate
Okoume plywood AD471 China Terminate
Open mesh glass fibre fabrics AD558 China (extended to India, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand) Terminate
Organic coated steel AD584 China Maintain
Organic coated steel AS587 China Maintain
Oxalic acid AD568 China Terminate
Oxalic acid AD568 India Terminate
Peroxosulphates AD511 China Terminate
Polyethylene terephthalate AS426 India Maintain
PSC wires and strands AD529 China Maintain
Rainbow trout AS606 Turkey Maintain
Rebar AD633 Belarus Terminate
Rebar (high fatigue performance steel reinforcing bars) AD619 China Maintain
Ring binder mechanisms AD350 China (extended to Laos and Vietnam) Terminate
Seamless pipes and tubes (large 406.4mm) AD632 China Terminate
Seamless pipes and tubes of iron or steel AD533 China Terminate
Seamless pipes and tubes of iron or steel AD490 Russia Terminate
Seamless pipes and tubes of iron or steel AD490 Ukraine Terminate
Seamless pipes and tubes of stainless steel AD565 China Terminate
Silicon metal AD245 China (extended to Korea and Taiwan) Terminate
Sodium cyclamate AD467 China Terminate
Sodium cyclamate AD467 Indonesia Terminate
Sodium gluconate AD544 China Terminate
Solar glass AD598 China Terminate*
Solar glass AS599 China Terminate*
Stainless steel bars and rods AS556 India Maintain
Stainless steel cold rolled flat products AD607 China Terminate
Stainless steel cold rolled flat products AD607 Taiwan Terminate
Stainless steel tubes and pipe butt wielding fittings AD622 China Terminate
Stainless steel tubes and pipe butt wielding fittings AD622 Taiwan Terminate
Steel (wire) ropes and cables AD384 China (extended to Korea and Morocco) Maintain
Sulphanilic acid AD444 China Terminate*
Sweetcorn AD507 Thailand Terminate
Tartaric acid AD488 China Terminate
Threaded tube and pipe cast fittings of malleable cast iron AD585 China Terminate
Threaded tube and pipe cast fittings of malleable cast iron AD585 Thailand Terminate
Trichloroisocyanuric acid AD480 China Terminate
Tube and pipe fittings of iron or steel AD323 China (extended to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Philippines) Terminate
Tube and pipe fittings of iron or steel AD442 Korea Terminate
Tube and pipe fittings of iron or steel AD442 Malaysia Terminate
Tube and pipe fittings of iron or steel AD579 Russia Terminate
Tube and pipe fittings of iron or steel AD579 Turkey Terminate
Tubes and pipes of ductile cast iron AD616 India Terminate
Tubes and pipes of ductile cast iron AS618 India Terminate
Tungsten carbide AD238 China Terminate
Tungsten electrodes AD502 China Terminate
Tyres AD640 China Maintain
Tyres AS641 China Maintain
Urea Ammonium Nitrate AD649 Russia, Trinidad, Tobago, USA Terminate
Welded tubes and pipes of iron or non-alloy steel AD523 Belarus Maintain*
Welded tubes and pipes of iron or non-alloy steel AD523 China Maintain*
Welded tubes and pipes of iron or non-alloy steel AD523 Russia Maintain*
Wire rod AD530 China Maintain
Published 6 February 2020
Last updated 30 September 2020 
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