Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To the Secretary of State for International Trade, if his Department will bring forward draft (a) legislative proposals and (b) policy papers on how the Trade Remedies Authority will calculate injury in trade remedy investigations before further consideration by the House of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill.
Answered by Greg Hands
Work is currently underway to develop the appropriate methodology for constructing normal value in dumping investigations in cases where domestic prices are inappropriate. Work is also underway examining the options for calculating injury.
We expect this process to take some months, but we will discuss our thinking with interested parties as it develops and will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders on the detail of trade remedies policy as we have done since the summer.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if his Department will bring forward draft (a) legislative proposals or (b) policy papers on how the Trade Remedies Authority will construct normal value in dumping investigations in cases where domestic prices are inappropriate before further consideration by the House of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill.
Answered by Greg Hands
Work is currently underway to develop the appropriate methodology for constructing normal value in dumping investigations in cases where domestic prices are inappropriate. Work is also underway examining the options for calculating injury.
We expect this process to take some months, but we will discuss our thinking with interested parties as it develops and will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders on the detail of trade remedies policy as we have done since the summer.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the ordinary duration of trade remedy measures will be five years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Hands
Under the WTO Anti-Dumping and Anti-Subsidy Agreements, trade remedy measures can only remain in force for as long as is necessary to counteract the dumping or subsidy which is causing injury. There is no ordinary duration for measures to be in force. The maximum period measures can remain in force is five years.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether appointments made to the Trade Remedies Authority will include representatives from UK manufacturing and trades unions.
Answered by Greg Hands
We are committed to creating an organisation with the expertise required to reach informed and objective conclusions on trade remedies cases. We will ensure that the TRA is staffed by individuals with the right skills to effectively operate the new system. Our detailed review of the structure and resources of the Australian, American, Canadian, EU and United States systems has informed our decision to recruit investigators with legal, economics or accountancy backgrounds. As with other such appointments, appointments to the TRA will be made in accordance with good governance principles and, where relevant, rules on public appointments.
The Department for International Trade has engaged with a range of stakeholders including all sorts of businesses, and trade unions, throughout the policy and legislative development process for the trade remedies framework and will continue to do so as it sets up the Trade Remedies Authority.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will publish all external guidance and advice his Department has received on the proposals to adopt the lesser duty rule as part of any future trade remedy scheme as set out in the Taxation (Cross Border Trade) Bill.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
The UK’s trade remedies regime will provide robust protections for UK industry suffering from injury, caused by dumped or subsidised imports, or unforeseen import surges. To ensure these protections are proportionate, the regime will set measures at the level necessary to address the injury to UK industry (known as the lesser duty rule), and apply an economic interest test as part of the independent investigation process (similar to the existing Union interest test in the EU).
We have been engaging with stakeholders on how these elements of the regime will work in practice, and are committed to continuing that engagement. This process will also be informed by economic research commissioned by this Department through public tender to provide evidence on the design and implementation of a future trade remedies framework.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what external advice he has received on the application of an economic interest test as part of any future trade remedy scheme after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
The UK’s trade remedies regime will provide robust protections for UK industry suffering from injury, caused by dumped or subsidised imports, or unforeseen import surges. To ensure these protections are proportionate, the regime will set measures at the level necessary to address the injury to UK industry (known as the lesser duty rule), and apply an economic interest test as part of the independent investigation process (similar to the existing Union interest test in the EU).
We have been engaging with stakeholders on how these elements of the regime will work in practice, and are committed to continuing that engagement. This process will also be informed by economic research commissioned by this Department through public tender to provide evidence on the design and implementation of a future trade remedies framework.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the expiry review of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 917/2011, what his Department's policy is on maintaining anti-dumping duties on ceramic floor and wall tiles imported from China.
Answered by Greg Hands
The European Commission’s review of the anti-dumping measures on imports of ceramic tiles is ongoing and yet to make its final proposals.
Currently, a number of trade remedy measures are being applied by the EU, some of which affect UK industry. The Government is looking into the detail of UK trade remedies policy as a whole as we leave the EU and will bring forth proposals shortly. The Government is aiming to maintain continuity for businesses as we exit from the EU.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications of the outcome of the European Commission investigation R650 on UK ceramic tile manufacturers.
Answered by Greg Hands
The European Commission’s review of the anti-dumping measures on imports of ceramic tiles is ongoing and yet to make its final proposals.
Currently, a number of trade remedy measures are being applied by the EU, some of which affect UK industry. The Government is looking into the detail of UK trade remedies policy as a whole as we leave the EU and will bring forth proposals shortly. The Government is aiming to maintain continuity for businesses as we exit from the EU.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications of the outcome of the European Commission investigation R650 on the kaolin and ball clay industry.
Answered by Greg Hands
The European Commission’s review of the anti-dumping measures on imports of ceramic tiles is ongoing and yet to make its final proposals.
Currently, a number of trade remedy measures are being applied by the EU, some of which affect UK industry. The Government is looking into the detail of UK trade remedies policy as a whole as we leave the EU and will bring forth proposals shortly. The Government is aiming to maintain continuity for businesses as we exit from the EU.