Corporate report

TRA Plan 2026-2029 HTML

Updated 14 May 2026

1. TRA plan 2026-29

This plan covers the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029 and has been prepared in accordance with the Framework Agreement between the Trade Remedies Authority and the Department for Business and Trade.

2. Foreword

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) continues to support UK growth and protect UK businesses from unfair trade. By March 2026, 46 active trade remedy measures were in place, covering around 2.6% of the total value of UK imports and supporting key foundation sectors including steel, aluminium, ceramics and chemicals.

As our operating environment evolves and our operating model matures, The TRA Plan 2026-29 sets out the next phase of delivery – building on our foundations and aligning with the UK’s trade strategy and the Government’s Strategic Steer. As we continue to streamline our investigations, this Plan commits us to greater pace and accessibility, so that we can help businesses secure protection from unfair trading practices, as rapidly as possible.

Trade remedies now play a more prominent role within the UK’s industrial and economic policy toolkit and as an authority, we are committed to becoming more agile, accessible, assertive and accountable. Global market distortions, subsidy‑driven competition and growing over‑capacity have created a more volatile international trading environment. This, in turn, has heightened the strategic importance of the TRA’s work, while increasing scrutiny of our recommendations to our Secretary of State. These factors underscore the need for us to deliver robust analysis and transparent investigation processes while also moving swiftly and decisively to deliver tangible impact for UK industries.

Our caseload is evolving as the organisation matures. In 2025, we began our final tranche of reviews of measures that had transitioned over to the UK following EU exit and we expect to complete our final transition reviews in 2026. This will mark the conclusion of an important first phase of our work and the completion of our second Corporate Plan. From this point onwards, the majority of the TRA’s work will focus on new investigations. This shift places greater emphasis on applying our growing experience and expertise with increased pace and impact, as per the Strategic Steer.

Our vision – to defend UK economic interests through trade remedies excellence – reflects what these challenges demand. The three strategic objectives set out in this Plan – Robust Defence, Trusted Authority and Operational Excellence – provide a framework to help us apply our judgement with pace and purpose in a constrained environment. Meanwhile, our values – Dynamism, Expertise, Integrity and Openness – will guide how we make decisions, engage with our colleagues and stakeholders and operate as an independent authority.

We would like to thank our colleagues across the TRA and the Department for Business and Trade for their professionalism, expertise and resilience, which remain central to our organisation’s work.

Chair and Chief Executives Trade Remedies Authority

• Nick Baird CMG CVO Chair of the Board
• Jessica Blakely Chief Executive
• Carmen Suarez Chief Executive

3. Government’s Strategic Steer

This Plan reflects the expectations set by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade in their Strategic Steer of 16 March 2026, which asked for a trade remedies system that is more:

• accessible to UK producers;
• assertive and agile in tackling unfair trade;
• accountable to government.

The TRA has already taken significant action in response, including strengthening its engagement with industries across the UK’s regions, launching an Import Trends Monitor tool, expanding its Pre‑Application Office into a Trade Remedies Advisory Service with a broader remit, and streamlining its investigations. Together, these actions illustrate the TRA’s response to the Strategic Steer and provide context for the framework set out below.

4. Operating environment

The TRA’s operating environment has changed significantly since our inception in 2021. State intervention is increasingly shaping global trade and affecting competition. There has been a greater willingness by governments to act unilaterally to protect domestic economic interests. These developments sit alongside continued commitment to the multilateral trading system but also reflect the increasing pressure under which it is operating.

Trade remedies have a key role both in protecting the foundational industries set out in the UK’s Industrial Strategy and in supporting some of the growth that is driving sectors to compete on a level playing-field with goods imported from around the world. In this context, trade remedies also contribute to wider UK government objectives on economic resilience and supply chain security, particularly where unfair trade practices risk undermining strategically important UK industries.

Globally, there is increasing demand for trade remedies solutions. In 2024, global initiations of dumping and subsidy investigations were more than double those in 2018. Increasing demand is coupled with growing complexity in the cases that are being brought. Decisions from World Trade Organization (WTO) panels show how investigating authorities are applying the WTO agreements to meet emerging patterns in the global trading system.

Domestically, trade remedies are one part of a larger policy approach. For example, the UK Trade, Industrial and Steel strategies outline the Government’s approach to supporting manufacturing across the UK. In the Trade Strategy, the Government is also seeking to legislate to update the trade remedies framework. The first elements of this legislative change were included in the Finance Act 2026. The new powers will allow the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to choose to disapply the previously mandatory Lesser Duty Rule in some circumstances and to direct the TRA to initiate a new dumping, subsidy or safeguard investigation where the Secretary of State believes that the evidentiary threshold has been met.

The themes below draw together the main elements of the Trade Strategy most relevant to trade remedies, alongside our assessment of what they mean in practice for the TRA. They provide context for the operating environment we expect to face over the Plan period and inform the priorities set out in this Plan.

4.1 Interventionist and distorted global trade

Increased use of tariffs, subsidies andIncreasing need for SMEs to be able to access and engage with the system effectively. other trade-distorting measures across major economies.

Persistent global overcapacity driving trade diversion and circumvention risks, with direct impacts on UK producers.

4.2 Higher expectations of the system

Increasing need for SMEs to be able to access and engage with the system effectively

Pressure for greater assertiveness and agility, including earlier risk identification, timely responses and clear accountability, as reinforced by the Strategic Steer.

4.3 Increased scrutiny and strategic significance

Heightened political, ministerial and Parliamentary interest in trade remedies decisions.

Greater scrutiny of evidence, decision- making and delivery performance, reflecting the increased prominence and contestability of trade remedies.

4.4 Trade remedies within wider industrial policy

Trade remedies operating alongside broader industrial, energy and competitiveness measures, rather than as a standalone technical mechanism.

Sector strategies illustrating how remedies are deployed as part of a wider response to market distortions and global overcapacity.

5. Vision and values

The TRA plays a critical role in defending the UK economy from unfair international trading practices. As the global trading environment becomes more volatile, the expectations placed on us are changing – over recent years, we have focused on building strong foundations and establishing ourselves as a credible authority, but to meet the challenges ahead, we must become a more dynamic, adaptable and resource-efficient organisation. We will need to anticipate emerging risks, respond decisively and deliver recommendations that have real economic impact.

5.1 Vision

Our vision – to defend UK economic interests through trade remedies excellence – aims to focus our efforts where they matter most. It sets out the impact we aim to deliver and anchors our work in the Government’s Strategic Steer.

5.2 Values

To deliver this vision, our values set out how we intend to operate – applying our expertise with greater agility and focus and guiding how we make decisions and engage with industry and government.

5.3 Dynamism

We meet the UK economy’s evolving needs by innovating and learning from experience.

Dynamism defines our shift to a more responsive way of working. It means being alert to changes in global markets, spotting risks early and refining our approach as new evidence emerges. It aligns with the Government’s steer for a more agile and assertive UK trade defence system.

5.4 Expertise

We bring our collective knowledge, insight and judgement to our work.

As we build experience, expertise becomes not just what we know, but how we deploy what we know, using our skills and judgement flexibly to respond to the needs and complexity of each case. It means exercising our judgement to reduce unnecessary iteration and help us deliver well-reasoned decisions more quickly. It reflects the need for a system that is authoritative, evidence-based and internationally credible.

5.5 Integrity

We act with accountability, delivering on our commitments objectively.

Integrity means being transparent about our investigative reasoning and clearly explaining how evidence has been assessed – reflecting the TRA’s role in providing independent recommendations while final decisions rest with the Secretary of State, who balances wider considerations. This reflects the Government’s steer for an accountable system that stands up to scrutiny.

5.6 Openness

We welcome diverse thinking from within and outside the organisation.

By encouraging inclusive engagement and drawing on diverse perspectives and evidence, openness supports better‑informed judgements, ensuring that the TRA’s work reflects both industry realities and government priorities.

6. Strategic objectives and priorities

We have identified three strategic objectives that will guide our organisation through this complex operating environment – Robust Defence, Trusted Authority and Operational Excellence. Together, these provide a framework for setting priorities and prioritising our resources through the years ahead.

6.1 Robust Defence

We make timely and robust recommendations that protect UK economic interests. This objective reflects the TRA’s core statutory purpose.

Our credibility and impact depend on recommendations that are evidence-based, legally defensible and delivered at pace. This is not just about responding to demand; it is about actively supporting businesses by strengthening our use of intelligence and analysis as an early-warning function, spotting emerging risks, and signalling potential harm early, so UK businesses and government can act decisively.

Over the next three years, we will prioritise changes in our ways of working that improve both the quality and the pace of our investigations, recognising these as mutually reinforcing.

We will improve the consistency of our case processes, helping us plan and resource them more efficiently and improving predictability for stakeholders. This doesn’t mean we will treat all cases the same – it means using clear and proportionate frameworks to deploy the right skills, levers and approach to the needs of each case.

Refinements to methodology, case management, data and AI use and horizon scanning will reduce unnecessary iteration, support quality assurance and enable earlier identification of risks and better prioritisation. Taken together, this supports an increasingly risk‑based approach to our casework, helping us calibrate investigative effort to case complexity, while maintaining quality and robustness.

6.2 Trusted Authority

We are a trusted and accessible authority.

Trust is essential to the effective functioning of our investigations. Businesses and other stakeholders must understand the TRA’s role, know when and how the system can support them and have confidence in the fairness, transparency and independence of our recommendations.

The TRA has already made tangible progress in making it easier to access its investigations, including expanding our Pre-Application Office into a Trade Remedies Advisory Service which provides greater support for potential applicants, especially those with more need for practical advice and digital support. The next phase of the Plan will build on this progress.

A key priority for us is to communicate with a clear and coherent voice. We will provide straightforward and consistent advice on our processes and decisions across the investigation lifecycle, ensuring case participants understand not only what decisions have been made, but why.

We will continue to simplify and clarify our processes, particularly for smaller businesses and less experienced participants in our cases, helping to avoid delays and misunderstandings later in the investigation lifecycle.

Finally, we will continue working effectively as a trusted and expert advisor to the Government, including, when appropriate, exchange of market data and intelligence.

6.3 Operational Excellence

We work in an efficient, accountable and proportionate way.

Operational Excellence provides the foundation for delivering both Robust Defence and Trusted Authority. Our people, our digital and data provision, and the systems that underpin them enable us to deliver our plan in a constrained funding environment without undermining quality.

We will aim to streamline processes, removing unnecessary steps to support faster, more consistent delivery across investigations and the digital, data, AI and corporate systems that underpin them. This will free up capacity for higher‑impact work as well as reduce our longer-term costs. Changes to our ways of working will be implemented with a clear understanding of risks and dependencies.

We will also strengthen workforce capability and organisational agility by deploying resources more flexibly and ensuring skills are aligned to current and future demands. Our approach will be delivered primarily in-house through structured technical training, mentoring, and learning by doing to maximise efficiency within our budget.

7. Objectives and priorities

7.1 Robust defence

We make timely and robust recommendations that protect UK economic interests.

Priorities

• Deliver investigations with greater pace.
• Calibrate investigation approach to case complexity.
• Provide consistent, well‑structured case processes.

Trusted authority

We are a trusted and accessible authority.

• Communicate with one clear and coherent organisational voice.
• Make trade remedies more accessible.
• Build trusted, purposeful relationships.

Operational excellence

We work in an efficient, accountable and proportionate way.

• Streamline processes using digital, AI and automation.
• Strengthen workforce capability and organisational agility.
• Provide secure, and user-focused digital, data and AI solutions.

8. 2026-27 Annual Plan

This is a three‑year plan. In 2026-27, we will take the first steps in delivering the priorities and outcomes set out in this Plan. During this year, the TRA will focus on a targeted set of delivery priorities that establish the foundations for delivery over the Plan period. Progress against these priorities will be monitored through the year and reported through the Annual Report and Accounts, and we will build on this work in successive annual plans as our priorities, our capacity and the operating environment continue to evolve.

Future annual plans will reflect a shift from establishing foundations to embedding, scaling and refining delivery, informed by performance, learning and changes in the operating environment.

The delivery priorities set out below are framed around the four principles in the Government’s Strategic Steer – that the UK trade remedies system should be accessible, assertive, agile and accountable. Together, these principles provide a clear lens for how the TRA will focus its efforts in 2026-27 and help explain the structure of the priorities that follow.

8.1 Robust defence

In 2026-27, the TRA will focus on delivery of its investigations, aiming to improve both pace and quality. This will include:

• further strengthening our imports monitoring capabilities to improve our understanding of emerging risks to UK sectors and businesses;
• optimising end‑to‑end case planning and management to support timely delivery of investigations, while maintaining quality and robustness;
• developing our casework risk stratification framework, to enable proportionate operational approaches that drive efficiency whilst managing risk and quality – directing effort where it is needed most;
• consolidating our guidance into a single source for case teams.

8.2 Trusted authority

In 2026-27, we will prioritise work to make the UK trade remedies system easier to understand, access and engage with. This will include:

• increasing support for case parties across the investigation lifecycle, both via case teams and through the Trade Remedies Advisory Service;
• continuing to simplify our guidance for businesses, particularly SMEs, to reduce barriers to engagement;
• strategically evolving our structured engagement programmes with stakeholders to support clearer communication, transparency and understanding of the trade remedies system;
• strengthening engagement with international peer authorities to support mutual learning, transparency and the sharing of best practice.

8.3 Operational excellence

In 2026-27, the TRA will streamline its systems and processes whilst deepening its expertise. This will include:

• establishing an efficiency programme to develop initiatives and tools that will reduce process time and free capacity for higher value activities and to reduce longer-term costs;
• launching and embedding digital, AI and system improvements, including an upgraded Trade Remedies Service, which has been designed to speed up casework by reducing manual processing, to free up staff time and to provide a better experience for external participants in our cases;
• aligning our strategic priorities to target our resources where they have the greatest impact.

9. Measures of success

This Plan sets out our strategic intentions, recognising that delivery must be calibrated to case complexity, demand and available capacity.

The TRA Board will consider performance progress through the year, supported by measures (Key Performance Indicators) and other management information. We will report progress annually through the publication of our Annual Report and Accounts. Our reporting arrangements with the Department for Business and Trade, our government sponsor, are set out in our Framework Agreement.

The TRA Board will consider performance across the areas set out below, drawing on a balanced set of leading indicators (inputs and early signals) and lagging indicators (delivery outcomes and impact).

1. Reduced time to deliver Final Recommendations to the Secretary of State.
2. Continual improvement in casework quality, whilst maintaining an effective reconsideration process.
3. Increased sector coverage of our work.
4. Improved horizon scanning and early identification of emerging trade risks to inform timely action.
5. Sustained positive experience of interactions with the TRA.
6. Reduced resource requirement to deliver cases.
7. Streamlined organisational processes, enabled through a range of levers including digital, data and AI.
8. Strengthened capability and resilience across the organisation.

10. Key strategic risks and dependencies

We operate in a dynamic environment shaped by external demand, policy direction and often unpredictable global trade factors. The strategic risks and dependencies set out below highlight the key factors that could potentially influence delivery of the Plan.

10.1 Key strategic risks

External policy and legislative context

TRA operates within a policy and legislative framework that is subject to change. Shifts in government policy direction, ministerial priorities and/or legislative timetables may mean activities need to be adjusted or reprioritised.

Caseload volatility and external demand

The volume, complexity and urgency of trade remedies cases are influenced by global market conditions and trading behaviour, which can change rapidly. This can place pressure on organisational capacity and affect delivery timelines.

Resource and capability constraints

TRA relies on specialist skills and operates within a finite organisational capacity and financial constraints. Periods of heightened caseload demand, alongside new policy, legislative and operational requirements, may place pressure on our ability to deliver priorities in parallel.

Digital, data, and AI systems maturity

Our digital and data solutions continue to develop as the organisation matures. While progress is being made, limitations in system capability may affect the pace at which efficiencies and delivery improvements, such as AI, can be realised.

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Our risks are actively managed through our strategic risk framework, operating in conjunction with an annually reviewed risk appetite which provides early warning to support timely mitigation.

10.2 Key strategic dependencies

Delivery of this Plan depends on close working with our sponsor department and strong, joined-up engagement across government. In a constrained funding environment, collaboration is essential to align priorities, support timely decisions, and ensure resources are focused on areas of greatest impact. Our strong and trusted relationships enable us to manage dependencies and respond proportionately to changes in policy direction, legislation and departmental priorities.

11. Summary

This Plan sets out our aspirations for the next three years, as well as our 2026–27 Annual Plan. It clarifies how delivery is informed by our newly‑established vision, values and objectives, and how the Plan responds to the Secretary of State’s Strategic Steer. We have set out, at high level, the measures we propose to use to assess delivery of the Plan. Progress against the Plan will be reported annually through the TRA’s Annual Report and Accounts.

Over the Plan period, we expect to deliver faster, more proportionate investigations without compromising the robustness of our decisions, alongside improved accessibility and clearer, more consistent communication for stakeholders. We will run a more efficient, and resilient organisation, underpinned by streamlined processes and stronger digital, data and AI systems. In parallel, in 2026 we expect to complete the final reviews of trade remedies measures transitioned from the EU, closing this initial phase of work and enabling us to apply our growing experience with greater pace and impact.

As an executive non‑departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade, the TRA will continue to operate efficiently and in line with the Chief Executives’ responsibilities as Accounting Officers. Further information about the TRA’s role and work is available on GOV.UK.