Agile. Accessible. Assertive: TRA welcomes Government steer
Source: gov.uk (2025-12-11)

The TRA has welcomed its first strategic steer from the UK Government.

The TRA has today (11 December 2025) welcomed its first strategic steer (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/stronger-faster-trade-defences-for-uk-businesses) from the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, highlighting the focus on a simpler, faster trade remedies system that is more responsive to business needs.

The steer focuses on a trade remedies system that supports growth, strengthens competitiveness and helps businesses thrive in global markets, in line with the Government’s Trade Strategy (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-trade-strategy-to-protect-and-boost-british-business).

In line with this strategic steer, the TRA has today launched a new import monitoring tool. The Import Trends Monitor (ITM) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/import-trends-monitor) will highlight patterns in trade that may warrant further investigation, particularly where there is a risk of negative impacts on UK producers. This tool will help the TRA work more closely with UK industry and government to identify where trade remedy measures might be needed to counteract unfair trading practices.

The tool is the most recent initiative to help make the TRA more agile, accessible and assertive.

An accessible, assertive and agile trade remedies system

The TRA is committed to providing straightforward and pragmatic support to UK producers of all sizes. To this effect, the TRA launched in July its Trade Remedies Advisory Service (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tra-launches-trade-remedies-advisory-service) to provide an increasingly proactive outreach service and simpler and more direct route for business to bring a case to the TRA to investigate a potential trade injury. This has helped the TRA engage with both traditional and newer sectors, including SMEs.

The TRA has also been streamlining workflows and leveraging digital and data efficiencies. This has resulted in reduced case timelines an the TRA being able to be faster to recommend provisional measures, where appropriate, and UK businesses receiving protection from unfair trade sooner.

In September, the TRA also introduced a new imports dashboard (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tra-launches-new-imports-dashboard) to show trends in UK imports for goods on which anti-dumping and countervailing measures are already in place.

The TRA intends to publish its next corporate plan in Spring 2026, with more detail on delivering today’s steer and further enhancing the TRA’s accountability.

The TRA’s Co-Chief Executives Jessica Blakely and Carmen Suarez said:

“We welcome the government’s strategic steer, which marks a significant milestone in our shared goal to make the UK’s trade remedies regime more agile, accessible and assertive, as well as providing greater accountability. Further to our work to date, including the recently launched Trade Remedies Advisory Service and the Import Trends Monitor, we will continue to focus on delivering more efficiently and effectively on our mission to defend the UK economic interests against unfair international trade practices.”

Background information:
- The Trade Remedies Authority is the UK’s independent body which investigates whether trade remedy measures are needed to counter unfair import practices.
- As an independent body operating at arm’s length from the Department for Business & Trade, the TRA is guided in its work by its principles of proportionality, impartiality, transparency, and efficiency.
- The TRA welcomes applications for trade remedies investigations from any business operating in the UK. Read our online guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-trade-remedies-investigations-process) to find out more about how to apply and what information to provide.
- The TRA’s Trade Remedies Advisory Service can be contacted on: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx). Previously known as the Pre-Application Office, it will provide support not only at the pre-application stage, but throughout the life of the case to interested parties who have questions about the TRA investigation process.