Anti-dumping investigation launched into boom lifts
An anti-dumping investigation into imported boom lifts has been announced, aimed at defending British manufacturers.
The UK Government said boom lifts — vital for installing Christmas trees and lights — underpin hundreds of UK jobs and millions in economic value.
Ministers said the investigation showed their commitment to fair competition and supporting businesses.
British manufacturers face growing pressure from imports that could be being sold at artificially low prices or benefit from unfair subsidies, said the UK Government.
The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) launched the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into imported boom lifts.
Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Whether it’s raising a Christmas tree or raising the bar for fair competition, British businesses deserve a level playing field.
“This Government has signed trade deals worth billions of pounds, but our trade strategy is not just about seeking new opportunities overseas, it’s also about defending British firms and ensuring a strong and fair trading environment back home.
“That’s why it’s crucial independent investigations like this protect UK industry and we encourage everyone to engage fully in this process.”
The TRA’s co-chief executives Jessica Blakely and Carmen Suarez said: “In line with the TRA mission to defend UK economic interests and our ambition to be more agile, assertive, and accessible, we have acted swiftly to launch this investigation in response to an application from UK producers.
“With boom lifts playing a key role in festive displays across the country, we will be considering whether UK producers are facing unfair competition from imports and, if so, which measures might be required.”
Anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations assess whether imported goods are being sold below fair market value or benefiting from unfair government support, which can harm UK businesses.
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This is going to happen for all sorts of stuff that China and others can’t sell to America anymore. Tariffs to be a default on all non-European trade not an afterthought when the damage is already done.
It’d help if British was a by-word for reliable instead of useless.
It’d help if there was a level playing field and domestic producers could compete on quality not just price.
They can compete on quality, they choose not to.
Not if consumers are price sensitive and markets are being flooded by cheaper goods from countries that subsidise their exports.
Maybe it might be more beneficial to do a half way house, work with the Chinese suppliers. Perhaps by allowing the chinese to send raw materials or components to be assembled by British manufacturers at a discounted cost, in return for a share of the profit.
That would allow us and them to benefit, potentially growing the profit for both sides.
That’s what tariffs achieve.
Not really, a tariff in this case causes a business to be penalized and they don’t see any profit. In theory china as a whole might benefit, but the company who had been selling their products would be completely shut out. I’m not strictly against tariffs, they are often very useful, but unless they are coupled with a concerted manufacturing drive in the UK, then in this case it’s only going to hurt the economy. Also, China will play just as hard with the tariffs just as they did with America and the UK does not have the economic or… Read more »
If tariffs are on finished products not raw ingredients and components then it’s cheaper to import the raw ingredients and components to make the products here. Then you have a manufacturing sector.
You would think but… whats stopping china from upping the export tariffs on raw material (which is exactly what they did to the US a far more lucrative customer).
Only punitive tariffs that target a specific country will trigger retaliation. If they are modest and apply to every country without a free trade deal then there’s no reason for that to happen.