The UK's Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has launched a review of duties on imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics from India. The review aims to assess whether the current countervailing measures, which impose duties of up to nearly 13 percent, should continue.

As an independent body under the Department for Business and Trade, the TRA will evaluate whether the imported PET plastics, which are allegedly subsidized, would continue to enter the UK market if these duties were removed. Additionally, it will assess whether UK industries producing similar goods would suffer ongoing harm without these measures.

Countervailing measures are one of three tools the UK employs to address imports that threaten domestic industries, alongside anti-dumping and safeguard measures. They specifically target goods subsidized by foreign governments.

"PET plastics are widely used in beverage bottles, food packaging, and textiles such as clothing fabrics. In 2023, imports of PET into the UK exceeded GBP 200 million," noted the TRA.

The review period spans from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, with the injury assessment covering January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2023. Businesses potentially affected by this investigation are encouraged to submit relevant data to the Trade Remedies Service by July 25.

Since Brexit, the UK has taken over trade remedy investigations previously conducted by the EU Commission on its behalf. Existing EU measures, including those concerning PET plastics from India, were transferred into UK law post-Brexit and are now under review by the TRA to ensure they align with UK interests.

The TRA's role includes safeguarding against unfair trade practices and sudden increases in imports, contributing to the UK's trade policy framework in a post-Brexit landscape.

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