Trade Remedies

Tuesday 28th November 2017 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade (Dr Liam Fox)]

On 28 November the Government published a call for evidence to identify UK interest in existing EU trade remedy measures. Currently, there are a number of trade remedy measures being applied by the EU, some of which are relevant and significant to UK industry. In preparation for the UK being an independent trading nation, it is important that we provide certainty and continuity to UK businesses, and avoid exposing them to injury from known unfair trade practices.

The call for evidence will obtain the necessary information from UK businesses to enable the Government to assess which measures matter to the UK and therefore can be maintained when the UK begins to operate its own independent trade remedies framework. The Government will take account of the terms of any time-limited implementation period agreed between the UK and the EU.

We recognise that new EU measures may be put in place after the call for evidence closes and before the UK begins to operate its independent trade remedies framework. We will approach those interested parties ahead of the UK operating its independent trade remedies framework to understand whether there is an interest for any future measures to be maintained.

We will assess whether the transition of an existing measure is important to UK industry, and can be retained based on three criteria:

We have received an application from UK companies which produce products subject to trade remedies measures;

The application is supported by a sufficient proportion of the UK companies which produce those products;

The market share of the UK companies which produce those products is above a certain level.

The Government are committed to ensuring continuity to UK industry as the UK prepares to leave the EU. We are also committed to maintaining a fair and transparent approach to the handling of these existing remedies and aligning them as far as possible with our WTO obligations.

[HCWS273]