August 7, 2026 10:48

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), the body responsible for protecting UK businesses from imports deemed harmful or unfair, announced on 5 August that it had opened two investigations into polymer imports to the UK: a safeguard investigation into PET and an anti-dumping investigation into suspension polyvinyl chloride (S-PVC) from China, Mexico and South Korea.

In the first case, initiated following an application from Alpek Polyester UK, the UK authority will assess whether increased PET imports, worth more than £300 million in 2025, are causing serious injury to domestic production. It is the first safeguard investigation opened by the TRA since the authority was established in 2021.

Permitted under WTO rules, a safeguard measure is an emergency, temporary action taken in response to increased imports that cause serious injury to the importing country’s domestic industry. The measure applies to imports from all countries, with some exceptions, including certain developing countries, and could involve the imposition of an additional duty or a tariff-rate quota.

In a separate proceeding, the TRA has opened an investigation, following an application from Inovyn ChlorVinyls, the UK’s only producer of S-PVC, into the alleged dumping of imports from China, Mexico and South Korea. Suspension PVC is used to manufacture pipes, window frames, cables, flooring and packaging.

© Polimerica -  Reproduction prohibited, all rights reserved