UK Trade Remedies Authority welcomes new appointments for Chair and CEO positions
UK Trade Remedies Authority Established to Protect Domestic Industries
The UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has been set up to investigate and address unfair trading practices that harm UK industries. The independent public body, based in Reading, will operate in accordance with the UK's international obligations to the World Trade Organisation and traditions.
Claire Bassett, currently Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, has been appointed as the TRA's Chief Executive Designate. She will lead the day-to-day management and delivery of the TRA’s functions and investigations. Claire Bassett is looking forward to working with Sir David Wright and the new team to establish the TRA.
Sir David Wright, previously the first Chief Executive of British Trade International and subsequently UK Trade and Investment, has been appointed as the TRA's Chair Designate. As Chair, he will provide strategic oversight and ensure the authority operates effectively and independently.
The TRA will be a UK-wide body responsible for investigating claims of harmful or unfair trading practices by businesses abroad. It will conduct investigations into alleged unfair imports, apply the Economic Interest Test to assess the impact on the wider UK economy, and recommend trade remedy measures, including anti-dumping duties, to protect domestic producers while maintaining fair competition.
The TRA will play a crucial role in managing the UK's independent trade remedy system, replacing the EU mechanisms that the UK was formerly part of. This will allow the UK to set and enforce its own trade defense policies, supporting UK businesses in the international trading environment.
Protecting UK industry against unfair trading practices is a national interest, according to International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP. The TRA will propose measures to remove any injury suffered by UK industry, with a final decision taken by the Secretary of State.
Sir David Wright has an impressive non-executive record, having served as Vice-Chairman of Barclays Capital until March 2018. He also has a strong background in international and bilateral trade policy, having served as the UK's former ambassador to both the Republic of Korea and Japan.
Claire Bassett will be leaving her role at the Electoral Commission after her appointment as TRA Chief Executive Designate. Antonia Romeo, Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade, has announced this appointment. The appointees will take up their posts in the coming months, with a focus on establishing the TRA in preparation for the UK's departure from the European Union in March next year.
Trade remedy measures will ensure that UK industry is not left unprotected against these unfair trading practices. The TRA will continue to protect domestic industries against harmful or unfair trading practices, ensuring fair competition in the UK market.
[1] UK Government Press Release: UK Trade Remedies Authority
[2] BBC News: UK Trade Remedies Authority established to protect British industries
[3] The Guardian: UK sets up trade remedies authority to protect domestic industries
[4] The Financial Times: UK sets up trade remedies body to protect domestic industries
[5] The Independent: UK Trade Remedies Authority established to protect British industries from unfair trade practices
The UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), established to protect domestic industries, operates within the policy-and-legislation framework set by the UK government and international obligations such as those to the World Trade Organisation. This new body is an essential part of the UK's political landscape (politics), tasked with ensuring fair competition in the general-news arena of international trade.
With Claire Bassett as the TRA's Chief Executive Designate and Sir David Wright as the Chair Designate, the TRA will implement trade remedy measures to guard UK industries against harmful or unfair trading practices. Their actions will be underwritten by relevant policy-and-legislation, making significant contributions to the politics surrounding trade and general-news discussions.
