The Economic Interest Test in UK Trade Remedy Investigations

• Published in: World trade review Vol. 22; no. 3-4; pp. 408 - 420
• Main Authors: Serwicka, Ilona Elzbieta, Chapman, Geoffrey, Tyler, Bradley
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.10.2023
• Subjects: Anti dumping; Antidumping duties; Biodiesel fuels; Consumers; Countervailing duties; International trade; Investigations; Original Article; Participation; Public interest; Steel products; Supply chains; Taxation; Trade; Trade Policy; World Trade Organization; GREAT BRITAIN; New Zealand; Brazil; Canada; United Kingdom > UK; China; Russia; antidumping; Economic Interest Test; trade remedies; UK; countervailing
• ISSN: 1474-7456; 1475-3138
• DOI: 10.1017/S1474745623000058

The UK's Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) conducts economic assessments of the ramifications of trade remedies, the Economic Interest Test (EIT). Such assessments are not mandated by the World Trade Organization but are conducted by certain trade remedy investigating authorities, including those of Brazil, Canada, the European Union, and New Zealand. The EIT is a mandatory part of the UK trade remedy system and is arguably more transparent than similar interest tests conducted by other trade remedy investigating authorities. However, stakeholder participation remains a challenge and the TRA is working on ways to improve participation. To date, the TRA has completed 11 EITs in its trade remedy cases, with a further ten live cases. These cases cover different products, markets, and countries, across which the likely positive and negative impacts of trade remedy differ. This paper invites experts to review the TRA's EIT methodology.