UK Trade with EU

(asked on 19th January 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of (a) the implications for her policies and (b) the effect on UK businesses of the EU trade remedies (i) AD653 and (ii) AS656 not being transitioned; and whether she has received representations from businesses on that matter.


Answered by
Ranil Jayawardena Portrait
Ranil Jayawardena
This question was answered on 25th January 2021

HM Government ran a Call for Evidence to determine which EU trade remedy measures should be transitioned to the United Kingdom’s system after the transition period. As part of the consistent criteria applied, the evidence from respondents needed to demonstrate that transitioning a measure had support from British businesses that produce a sufficient proportion of those products.

The deadlines for the Call for Evidence were determined by legislative obligations and operational requirements to make sure that measures were successfully transitioned by 31st December 2020. While we received some evidence from British producers in support of transitioning measures AD653 and AS656, this did not meet the criterion of demonstrating support from businesses producing a sufficient proportion of the products. Further evidence was not submitted in time for consideration and HM Government was, therefore, unable to transition these measures.

Businesses can raise trading issues and apply for a new trade remedy investigation. However, my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade can only decide in favour of the imposition of new trade remedy measures following a full investigation and recommendation from the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (or its successor, in due course, the Trade Remedies Authority).

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