Guidance

The Trade Remedies Advisory Service

Updated 17 July 2026

Legal framework

Primary legislation in The Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (the Taxation Act)

Schedule 4 to the Taxation Act describes the principles of how dumping and subsidy investigations should be conducted. Schedule 5 covers safeguard investigations.

Secondary legislation in The Trade Remedies (Dumping and Subsidisation) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the D&S Regs)

Part 6 of the D&S Regs describes how dumping and subsidy investigations should be conducted. Regulation 50 to 53 cover the initiation of an investigation, including how to make an application and how an application is assessed.

Secondary legislation in The Trade Remedies (Increase in Imports Causing Serious Injury to UK Producers) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the Safeguarding Regs)

Part 5 of the Safeguarding Regs describes how to conduct safeguard investigations.

World Trade Organization – relevant provisions

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) provides some guidance on how to conduct trade remedies investigations.

The following agreements provide further information:

• Agreement on the Implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (Anti-Dumping Agreement)
• Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures
• Agreement on Safeguards

Introduction to the Advisory Service’s role

The Trade Remedies Authority’s Advisory Service supports industries which may want to make an application for a trade remedy investigation or need support with an ongoing investigation. We act as a liaison point with industries, interested parties to investigations and other stakeholders, providing informal guidance. We advise potential applicants on how to complete an application and follow our processes, as well as providing advice during the case lifecycle, to help parties access and engage with our investigations.

Why contact the Advisory Service?

Businesses in the UK which are concerned about imports affecting their business can contact the Advisory Service for advice on the process of applying for an investigation. We can provide assistance in many ways, including in-person visits to help businesses navigate the application process and virtual workshops to explain key technical areas of trade remedies.

Application support

The Advisory Service can provide advice on preparing applications for new investigations and reviews. We can advise on the requirements for an application and guide applicants in putting together a draft application which can be submitted for formal consideration by the TRA.

The Advisory Service can review your application before submission. We will look at whether you are providing the type of supporting evidence we would expect to see for each of the areas of the application form. We will highlight areas where the information may be insufficient and ask you to provide evidence to support your arguments.

Following the Advisory Service’s guidance does not guarantee that the TRA will initiate an investigation based on your application or that measures will be put in place. You don’t have to engage with the Advisory Service before making your application. You can submit your application directly through our online Trade Remedies Service

Submitting your application

Once we advise you that your draft application meets the requirements for a properly documented application, we will recommend you to formally submit your application, if you are ready to do so. Alternatively, we may advise you that we do not believe your application should be submitted formally. If we advise against submitting it, we will explain our reasons. You may submit it anyway, if you wish to do so.

During an investigation, the TRA will need to use data close to the initiation date of the investigation, so any delay in submitting your application may affect the usability of your data. If data becomes out of date, then it may not provide an accurate picture and may affect the credibility of your application.

Once you submit your application, it will be formally assessed and the TRA will analyse the evidence provided and determine whether it is appropriate to open an investigation.

In-case support

We recognise that being a party to an investigation can be resource-intensive and present a number of challenges, especially if you are unfamiliar with the processes involved. The Advisory Service provides support and guidance to interested parties and others, with a particular focus on assisting small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).

We can guide you through the requirements and provide clarity on procedural points and requests. The support we offer is tailored to the needs of the individual contacting us and can take the form of an information session or written answers to specific questions raised.

Contacting the Advisory Service

You can contact the Trade Remedies Advisory Service via email on contact@traderemedies.gov.uk.

Confidentiality

We handle confidential information in accordance with the relevant regulations. If you send us confidential commercial information, please make sure you clearly mark it as confidential. For further information on the TRA and its investigative processes, please see our TRA’s investigations process guidance.