TRA imposes anti-dumping duties on boom lifts from China

Ahead of the kick-off of the Premier League football season this Friday, a UK manufacturing industry that’s important to the game has received protection from unfair international trade.  

Following a recommendation by the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), the UK Government is imposing a provisional anti-dumping measure on imports of boom lifts from China to help protect British producers. The measure will come into effect from 20 August. 

Football fans may not realise the important role boom lifts – also known as cherry pickers – play in repairing, maintaining and upgrading their teams’ stadiums, for fixing lighting and for filming and broadcasting games. More broadly, boom lifts are used in several UK industries, especially the construction sector. 

However, the TRA has found that UK manufacturers face growing pressure from imports being sold at artificially low prices. 

Following an application by UK boom lift producer Niftylift Limited based in Milton Keynes, the TRA launched an anti-dumping investigation into imported boom lifts on 19 December. 

The TRA has found evidence that boom lifts originating from China are being dumped and have caused or are causing injury to the UK market. The investigation also found that it is in the economic interest of the UK to apply provisional measures now. 

As a result, the TRA recommended, and the UK Government agreed, that a provisional measure should be imposed, with an anti-dumping duty ranging from 16.25% - 71.74% being applied to imports of the goods from Chinese producers. This measure will be applied for up to six months or until a definitive remedy is implemented. 

TRA Chief Executives Jessica Blakely and Carmen Suarez said: 

“In line with the TRA’s mission to defend UK economic interests and our ambition to be more agile, assertive, and accessible, we have acted swiftly to protect UK producers from unfair trade competition. 

“Boom lifts play a key role across the country in construction of all types, including in maintaining football stadiums.” 

These anti-dumping measures come into force on 20 August. The TRA will continue its full investigation while these provisional measures are in place.  

Background information:  

• The Trade Remedies Authority is the independent UK body that investigates whether new trade remedy measures are needed to counter unfair import practices and unforeseen surges of imports.   

• The TRA is an arm’s length body of the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.   

• Anti-dumping duties allow a country or union to act against goods which are being sold at less than their normal value – this is defined as the price for ‘like goods’ sold in the exporter’s home market.  

• In any investigation, the TRA can make a Provisional Affirmative Determination (PAD), which allows temporary duties to be imposed while the full investigation is completed.   

• The PAD also requires all importers of the goods to give a guarantee in respect of the estimated anti-dumping duty applicable to their imports, for a period of six months from 20 August 2026, or until a definitive remedy is implemented, whichever is sooner. The guarantee can take the form of a bank guarantee, bond or cash.