UK’s TRA opens China eBike anti-dumping review

Amid UKCA, CBAM and other trading complexities for importers to negotiate in this tricky trading environment, the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has today (Monday 22nd May) opened a transition review into anti-dumping and countervailing measures on electric bicycles imported from China into the UK.

This eBike anti-dumping review specifically covers ‘cycles’ including pedal assist, with an auxiliary motor, rather than electric motor bikes.

For those not abreast of the TRA and its activities, it is a body currently investigating whether trade remedy measures that were implemented by the EU Commission should still be applied now the UK has left the EU. These were carried across into UK law when the UK officially left the trading bloc and the TRA is reviewing each to check whether they are necessary for UK needs.

The TRA has outlined that the review will determine whether dumping would be likely to continue or reoccur if the measures were no longer applied, and whether injury to the UK industry would be likely to continue or recur if the measures were no longer applied.

A split in policy on China eBike anti-dumping between the UK and EU would have considerable implications for importers and distributors, not least those supplying to the UK and Ireland, the latter remaining part of the EU. Likewise, British eBike suppliers will be keeping abreast of the review.

For the first time, the TRA will survey consumers as art of its assessment on how measures on these imports would affect the economy.

TRA Chief Executive Oliver Griffiths said: “Sales of e-bikes have been growing rapidly in the UK and are now worth over £300 million per year. We will be investigating whether existing trade remedy measures are still justified to protect UK producers, taking into account the extra costs that the measures place on consumers.”

The investigation will cover the period from 01 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. In order to assess injury, the TRA will examine the period from April 2019 to March 2022.

Businesses that may be affected by the review (such as importers or exporters of the products or UK producers of similar products) can contribute to the review by registering on the TRA’s online case platform. They can also stay up to date with developments in the case, which will be posted on the TRA’s public file.