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Research and analysis

Evaluation of TRA Investigation Process

This report presents the findings of a comprehensive evaluation of how the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) conducts investigations and engages with participants.

From:
Trade Remedies Authority
Published:
5 October 2026

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Details

This report presents the findings of a comprehensive process evaluation of the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) – the UK’s independent public body responsible for investigating complaints of unfair international trading practices such as dumping or subsidised imports, and unforeseen surges in imports. Since its creation in 2021, the TRA has conducted trade remedy investigations and reviews spanning anti-dumping, subsidy, and safeguard investigations, providing evidence-based recommendations on appropriate measures to defend UK economic interests.

This report uses three key terms as a focal point of analysis: Staff (i.e., TRA employees working on investigations), Stakeholders (i.e., organisations interested in or affected by the TRA’s work), and Participants (i.e., organisations among the stakeholder cohort who have participated in investigation(s)).

The TRA commissioned this evaluation to understand how organisations become aware of, participate in, and experience TRA investigations, and to pinpoint ways to make these processes more accessible, balanced, and impactful.

The evaluation aims to:

  • Identify how to build on what works well in TRA investigations
  • Identify where and when stakeholders face the greatest engagement challenges and barriers in TRA investigations
  • Inspect the underlying causes of these – whether statutory, procedural, technical, or communication-related
  • Provide evidence-based recommendations to support continuous improvement in guidance, tools, and resource planning for the TRA

The evaluation drew on a mixed-methods approach, combining a survey of 24 external stakeholders, five in-depth qualitative interviews with case participants of varying size and sector, and a staff survey with 38 responses from across TRA functional teams. All data collection, analysis, and reporting complies with UK GDPR and the Market Research Society (MRS) Code of Conduct and the TRA privacy policy.

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