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.

During the transition period, the Secretary of State for International Trade assessed which definitive EU remedy measures, in force at the end of the transition period, should be transitioned into the UK trade remedies system. For the EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures, this was done via a Call for Evidence with UK industry and other interested parties, including international industry. For the EU steel safeguard measure, the Secretary of State identified 19 product categories covered by the EU steel safeguard measure where UK production exists.

After the 2018 Call for Evidence, the Secretary of State for International Trade continued to assess relevant EU trade remedy measures to determine whether there was a UK producer interest in maintaining these after 31 December 2020. The final list of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures maintained after 31 December 2020 is detailed below, along with details of steel safeguard measures which have also been maintained.

Transition reviews

All anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures that the UK has maintained will undergo a UK-wide transition review led by the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID). Transition reviews will assess whether the maintained measure is appropriate for the UK market and whether it should be 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.

The Secretary of State has published all Notices of Determination for measures the UK has maintained. Ahead of the maintained measures’ expiry date, TRID will 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 maintained 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

The Secretary of State identified 19 product categories covered by the EU steel safeguard measure where UK production exists. These were transitioned in order to provide continuity to UK producers.

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

UK specific tariff rate quotas

In order to ensure the transitioned safeguard measures worked specifically for the UK from the first day 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 has transitioned 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 has either transitioned or terminated 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 Maintained
2 Non-Alloy and Other Alloy Cold Rolled Sheets Maintained
3A Electrical Sheets (other than GOES) Terminated
3B Electrical Sheets (other than GOES) Terminated
4A Metallic Coated Sheets Maintained
4B Metallic Coated Sheets Maintained
5 Organic Coated Sheets Maintained
6 Tin Mill products Maintained
7 Non-Alloy and Other Alloy Quarto Plates Maintained
8 Stainless Hot Rolled Sheets and Strips Terminated
9 Stainless Cold Rolled Sheets and Strips Terminated
10 Stainless Hot Rolled Quarto Plates Terminated
12 Non-Alloy and Other Alloy Merchant Bars and Light Sections Maintained
13 Rebars Maintained
14 Stainless Bars and Light Sections Maintained
15 Stainless Wire Rod Maintained
16 Non-Alloy and Other Alloy Wire Rod Maintained
17 Angles, Shapes and Sections of Iron or Non Alloy Steel Maintained
18 Sheet Piling Terminated
19 Railway Material Maintained
20 Gas pipes Maintained
21 Hollow sections Maintained
22 Seamless Stainless Tubes and Pipes Terminated
24 Other Seamless Tubes Terminated
25A Large welded tubes Maintained
25B Large welded tubes Maintained
26 Other Welded Pipes Maintained
27 Non-Alloy and other alloy cold finished bars Maintained
28 Non-Alloy Wire Maintained

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 came into effect at 11pm on 31 December 2020, following the publication of a Taxation Notice from the Secretary of State for International Trade.

The Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) - as the UK’s competent trade remedies authority pending the establishment of the Trade Remedies Authority - will conduct a transition review 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 definitive EU anti-dumping or anti-subsidy trade remedy measures, in force at the end of the transition period, the UK has maintained or terminated as part of its independent trade policy. The UK imposed the same trade remedy measures as the EU until the end of the transition period, when we ceased to apply the Common External Tariff. The measures the Secretary of State determined should be maintained continue to apply until they expire, or until TRID completes the transition review and determines whether the measure should be varied, extended or terminated to reflect the circumstances of the UK market.

The UK is now operating its own independent trade remedies system. You can apply to the Trade Remedies Service if you want TRID to investigate imports which are causing or threatening injury to UK industry.

You can only ask for a trade remedy:

  • if you believe imported goods are being dumped on the UK market at prices below their normal value or benefiting from subsidies
  • there is a sharp, sudden increase in imports to the UK of a certain product

TRID has established a Pre-Application Office (PAO).

The PAO can:

  • help you decide whether a trade remedy is appropriate for you
  • advise you on the requirements involved in an application
  • answer your questions on other aspects of the service

If you would like to make an application, email the PAO at contact@traderemedies.gov.uk.

UK government transition policy

A measure marked with a (*) in the table below signifies that the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) is currently conducting a transition review on this measure. Transition reviews will assess whether the maintained measure is appropriate for the UK market and whether it should be varied, changed or terminated. You can view all live and completed transition reviews on the Trade Remedies Service.

A measure marked with a (†) in the below table signifies that the production of this measure in the UK had ceased and was unlikely to recommence in the UK in the foreseeable future. The Secretary of State reassessed this measure, working with UK producers and sector stakeholders. They determined that this measure should not be maintained, as it no longer met the criteria of the Call for Evidence.

Transition period updates to measures

This table reflects changes that were made during the transition period at the EU-level to the measures the UK has maintained or terminated.

Those changes are:

  • 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) - the Secretary of State 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-subsidy measure on Indonesian Biodiesel (AS650) - the Secretary of State 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
  • the EU imposed an anti-dumping measure on Steel Road Wheels (AD652) – the Secretary of State has reassessed this measure, working with UK producers and sector stakeholders. It determined that this measure should not be maintained, as it no longer meets the criteria of the Call for Evidence
  • the EU imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures on Glass fibre fabrics (certain woven and/or stitched) (AD653 and AS656) – the Secretary of State assessed these measures, working with UK producers and sector stakeholders to do so, and determined that these measures should not be maintained as they did not meet the criteria of the Call for Evidence
  • the EU imposed an anti-dumping measure on Polyvinyl alcohol (certain) (PVA) (AD654) – the Secretary of State assessed this measure working with UK producers and sector stakeholders to do so and determined that this measure should not be maintained as it did not meet the criteria of the Call for Evidence
  • the EU imposed an anti-subsidy measure on Glass fibre reinforcements (glass fibres products (GFR) (AS657) – the Secretary of State assessed this measure working with UK producers and sector stakeholders to do so and determined that this measure should be maintained as it met the criteria of the Call for Evidence
  • the EU imposed anti-dumping measures on Stainless steel hot-rolled flat products (SSHR) (AD658) – the Secretary of State assessed these measures working with UK producers and sector stakeholders to do so and determined that these measures should not be maintained as they did not meet the criteria of the Call for Evidence
  • the EU imposed an anti-dumping measure on Thermal paper (certain heavyweight) (AD659) – the Secretary of State assessed this measure working with UK producers and sector stakeholders to do so and determined that this measure should not be maintained as it did not meet the criteria of the Call for Evidence
  • UK producers contacted the Secretary of State with new evidence showing changes to UK production and/or market share of products covered by the EU anti-dumping measure on Bicycles (AD287) and anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures Electric Bicycles (AD643 and AS646). The Secretary of State reassessed these measures, working with UK producers and sector stakeholders to do so, and determined that these measures should now be maintained as they met the criteria of the Call for Evidence
Name of measure Case code (AD – Anti dumping, AS – Anti subsidy) Countries against which measures are applied Terminated or maintained from 1 January 2021?
Acesulfame potassium AD611 China Terminated
Aluminium foil AD610 Russia Terminated
Aluminium foil in large rolls AD534 China Terminated
Aluminium foil in small rolls AD582 China Maintained
Aluminium radiators AD578 China Terminated
Aluminium road wheels AD541 China Maintained
Ammonium nitrate AD330 Russia Maintained
Aspartame (sweetener) AD621 China Terminated
Barium carbonate AD475 China Terminated
Bicycles AD287 China (extended to certain bicycle parts) (extended to Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Tunisia) Maintained
Biodiesel AS644 Argentina Maintained
Biodiesel AD531 USA (extended to Canada) Maintained*
Biodiesel AS532 USA (extended to Canada) Maintained*
Biodiesel AS650 Indonesia Maintained
Cast iron articles AD637 China Maintained
Ceramic tableware / Kitchenware AD586 China Maintained
Ceramic tiles AD560 China Maintained
Chamois leather AD496 China Maintained
Citric acid AD522 China (extended to Malaysia) Terminated
Citrus fruits AD524 China Terminated
Coated fine paper AD552 China Terminated
Coated fine paper AS557 China Terminated
Cold rolled flat steel products AD620 China Maintained
Cold rolled flat steel products AD620 Russia Maintained
Corrosion resistant steel AD639 China Maintained
Electric bicycles AD643 China Maintained
Electric bicycles AS646 China Maintained
Ferro silicon AD516 China Terminated
Ferro silicon AD516 Russia Terminated
Glass fibre fabrics (certain woven and/or stitched) AD653 China Terminated
Glass fibre fabrics (certain woven and/or stitched) AD653 Egypt Terminated
Glass fibre fabrics (certain woven and/or stitched) AS656 China Terminated
Glass fibre fabrics (certain woven and/or stitched) AS656 Egypt Terminated
Glass fibre products (certain continuous filament) AD549 China Maintained
Glass fibre products (certain filament) (GFP) AS603 China Maintained
Glass fibre reinforcements (glass fibres products) AS657 Egypt Maintained
Grain orientated flat-rolled products of electrical steel (GOES) AD608 China Terminated
Grain orientated flat-rolled products of electrical steel (GOES) AD608 Japan Terminated
Grain orientated flat-rolled products of electrical steel (GOES) AD608 Korea Terminated
Grain orientated flat-rolled products of electrical steel (GOES) AD608 Russia Terminated
Grain orientated flat-rolled products of electrical steel (GOES) AD608 USA Terminated
Graphite electrode systems AD469 India Terminated
Graphite electrode systems AS470 India Terminated
Hand pallet trucks and their essential parts AD474 China (extended to Thailand and Vietnam) Terminated
Heavy (quarto) plate AD631 China Maintained
High tenacity polyester yarns AD547 China Terminated
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AD635 Brazil Maintained
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AD630 China Maintained
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AS634 China Maintained
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AD635 Iran Maintained
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AD635 Russia Maintained
Hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel AD635 Ukraine Maintained
Ironing boards AD548 China Maintained
Lever arch mechanisms AD491 China Terminated
Lightweight thermal paper (65gr/m2 or less) AD629 Korea Terminated
Melamine AD554 China Terminated
Molybdenum wires AD540 China (extended to Malaysia) Terminated
Monosodium glutamate AD521 China Terminated
Monosodium glutamate AD602 Indonesia Terminated
Okoume plywood AD471 China Terminated
Open mesh glass fibre fabrics AD558 China (extended to India, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand) Terminated
Organic coated steel AD584 China Maintained
Organic coated steel AS587 China Maintained
Oxalic acid AD568 China Terminated
Oxalic acid AD568 India Terminated
Peroxosulphates AD511 China Terminated
Polyethylene terephthalate AS426 India Maintained
Polyvinyl alcohol (certain) (PVA) AD654 China Terminated
PSC wires and strands AD529 China Maintained*
Rainbow trout AS606 Turkey Maintained*
Rebar AD633 Belarus Terminated
Rebar (high fatigue performance steel reinforcing bars) AD619 China Maintained
Ring binder mechanisms AD350 China (extended to Laos and Vietnam) Terminated
Seamless pipes and tubes (large 406.4mm) AD632 China Terminated
Seamless pipes and tubes of iron or steel AD533 China Terminated
Seamless pipes and tubes of iron or steel AD490 Russia Terminated
Seamless pipes and tubes of iron or steel AD490 Ukraine Terminated
Seamless pipes and tubes of stainless steel AD565 China Terminated
Silicon metal AD245 China (extended to Korea and Taiwan) Terminated
Sodium cyclamate AD467 China Terminated
Sodium cyclamate AD467 Indonesia Terminated
Sodium cyclamate AD626 China Terminated
Sodium gluconate AD544 China Terminated
Solar glass AD598 China Terminated
Solar glass AS599 China Terminated
Stainless steel bars and rods AS556 India Maintained
Stainless steel cold rolled flat products AD607 China Terminated
Stainless steel cold rolled flat products AD607 Taiwan Terminated
Stainless steel hot-rolled flat products (SSHR) AD658 China Terminated
Stainless steel hot-rolled flat products (SSHR) AD658 Indonesia Terminated
Stainless steel hot-rolled flat products (SSHR) AD658 Taiwan Terminated
Stainless steel tubes and pipe butt wielding fittings AD622 China Terminated
Stainless steel tubes and pipe butt wielding fittings AD622 Taiwan Terminated
Steel road wheels AD652 China Terminated
Steel (wire) ropes and cables AD384 China (extended to Korea and Morocco) Maintained
Sulphanilic acid AD444 China Terminate
Sweetcorn AD507 Thailand Terminated
Tartaric acid AD488 China Terminated
Thermal paper (certain heavyweight) AD659 Korea Terminated
Threaded tube and pipe cast fittings of malleable cast iron AD585 China Terminated
Threaded tube and pipe cast fittings of malleable cast iron AD585 Thailand Terminated
Trichloroisocyanuric acid AD480 China Terminated
Tube and pipe fittings of iron or steel AD323 China (extended to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Philippines) Terminated
Tube and pipe fittings of iron or steel AD442 Korea Terminated
Tube and pipe fittings of iron or steel AD442 Malaysia Terminated
Tube and pipe fittings of iron or steel AD579 Russia Terminated
Tube and pipe fittings of iron or steel AD579 Turkey Terminated
Tubes and pipes of ductile cast iron AD616 India Terminated
Tubes and pipes of ductile cast iron AS618 India Terminated
Tungsten carbide AD238 China Terminated
Tungsten electrodes AD502 China Terminated
Tyres AD640 China Maintained
Tyres AS641 China Maintained
Urea Ammonium Nitrate AD649 Russia, Trinidad, Tobago, USA Terminated
Welded tubes and pipes of iron or non-alloy steel AD523 Belarus Maintained*
Welded tubes and pipes of iron or non-alloy steel AD523 China Maintained*
Welded tubes and pipes of iron or non-alloy steel AD523 Russia Maintained*
Wire rod AD530 China Maintained
Published 6 February 2020
Last updated 16 December 2020 + show all updates
  1. Updated the section on recent updates to measures being maintained or terminated.

  2. Updated as the EU imposed an anti-dumping measure on Steel Road Wheels (AD652). DIT has reassessed this measure and determined that this measure should not be maintained, as it no longer meets the criteria of the Call for Evidence.

  3. Updated the details on steel safeguard measures.

  4. First published.