U.K. Industry and Unions Call for Post-Brexit Trade Remedies

Seven manufacturing trade associations have been joined by Unite, GMB, and Community trade unions in demanding that U.K. politicians include strong new "trade remedies" within their manifestos, the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), reported this week. The 10 signatories to the position paper, in addition to the CPI, are the Agricultural Industries Confederation, British Glass, British Ceramic Confederation, Chemical Industries Association, Community, GMB, Mineral Products Association, U.K. Steel, and Unite. 

Until now, defending U.K. manufacturing against floods of unfair imports has been the responsibility of the European Commission under rules set out in EU regulations. If the new government doesn’t act quickly to set up the U.K.’s own trade remedies system, British industry could be left defenseless, risking many thousands of jobs, CPI explained.

Ahead of manifesto publication, the 10 organizations set out in a position paper the precise strong action that is needed. They have also written directly to policy chiefs in the main political parties.

The position paper can be downloaded online. 

Confederation of Paper Industries Director General Andrew Large said that "this is an important report, and it gets to the heart of the adjustments that will be needed in U.K. trade remedies policy in advance of Brexit. I urge the next government to adopt these recommendations as a matter of urgency." 

British Ceramic Confederation Chief Executive Dr. Laura Cohen noted that "after years of contraction partly because of dumped imports from China, EU measures have helped our sector to stabilize, invest, and employ more people. We need a U.K. system that can tackle the unfair distortions that disrupt real free trade."

Tony Burke, Unite assistant general secretary, added that "post Brexit, the U.K. will be responsible for its own trade defense mechanisms, which we need to be ahead of the game if we are to protect jobs and British industry.

"Unite, other manufacturing unions, and trade associations that have taken the initiative believe we need robust defense structures that are simple and easy to use to protect decent jobs and our industries, such as pulp and paper, steel, ceramics, and tires, which are susceptible to dumping from countries such as China. We want the next government to act swiftly and adopt these recommendations. We cannot have our manufacturing industries faced with continuing uncertainty and bogged down in complex legal processes," Burke pointed out.

Jude Brimble, GMB national secretary for manufacturing, said that "it’s vital that whoever forms the next government must have the right protections in place from day one. After Britain leaves the EU, hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs and businesses will be at risk from unfair dumping. Without the proper safeguards, the British market could be flooded with cheap imported paper, steel, ceramics, and other materials from overseas."

For more information, email Andrew Large, CPI director general, or phone 01793 889601. More facts on U.K.’s paper-based Industries are available online.