Evaluation of the TRA investigation process: insight from our stakeholders and staff

Today we have published a research report prepared by an independent research agency, Savanta, for the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA). This report presents the findings of the agency’s evaluation of our investigation process, based on insights from external stakeholders and staff. The report also sets out improvement priorities and recommendations for the TRA.

The value of feedback in improving the TRA investigation process

Earlier this year, the agency approached both UK and non-UK organisations to invite them to complete a survey and participate in one-to-one interviews to describe their experiences of taking part in the TRA’s trade remedy investigations. The objective was to help us understand what works well in our investigation process and what could be improved, specifically:

1. what supports businesses to participate in our investigations and what makes it more difficult;
2. how to make it easier for businesses to participate in our investigations; and
3. what are the main barriers that make it hard for organisations of all types to engage with the TRA.

Surveying stakeholders and staff – how the project was carried out

As part of its research, the agency contacted UK producers, UK importers, trade associations and business groups, legal advisers and legal representatives, as well as overseas exporters and overseas producers.

Organisations were firstly invited to complete a survey on their experience of engaging with the TRA and participating in the TRA’s trade remedy investigations. They were asked about their level of familiarity with the TRA and the TRA investigations, their satisfaction from engagement with the TRA, and investigation barriers and challenges.

Organisation were also invited to join follow-up one-to-one interviews with the agency to share more in-depth feedback. These semi-structured interviews, which ranged from 45 to 60 minutes and were conducted virtually, explored in detail motivation to participate in TRA investigations, barriers, challenges, pain points and recommended improvements.

The agency also surveyed TRA staff involved in case teams. This was done to compare internal and external perspectives on the strengths and shortcomings of the TRA investigation process. It also helped to gather insights into how well TRA staff understand stakeholders' experiences of TRA investigations, and the barriers and challenges they face.

What did the research conclude about the TRA investigation process: improvement priorities and recommendations

The organisations which participated in the research tended to have a good level of familiarity with the TRA: a third of respondents first engaged with the TRA five or more years ago, while another third first engaged three or four years ago.

Stakeholders praised TRA staff for their professionalism, responsiveness and procedural fairness. In particular, stakeholders valued the quality of direct communication with case teams, describing it as clear, supportive and constructive, as well as early and in-person contact, which was particularly valued by first-time participants.

Based on stakeholder and TRA staff responses, the report sets out five recommendations for the TRA.

Independent recommendations of the TRA investigation process evaluation research:

1. Personalise onboarding to have clear, plain-English onboarding with named contacts, practical examples, and targeted outreach.
2. Tailor evidence requests and timeliness to align evidence requirements with each organisation’s size and capacity where possible, and, where not possible, to clearly communicate expected resource needs and to offer flexible deadlines where appropriate.
3. Enhance progress updates to have regular, proactive progress updates throughout each investigation (e.g. a visible progress tracker, a regular status update, or dashboard in the TRS).
4. Embed accessibility in the digital platform to have intuitive upload functions and step-by-step digital onboarding support.
5. Expand staff training to expand formal and scenario-based training, which includes clearer step-by-step process materials, focused resources for communicating with diverse business types, shadowing senior TRA staff and practical demonstrations of participant scenarios.

These reflect the experiences of current and previous case participants. As the TRA’s investigation process has developed since it was established in 2021, it’s helpful to set out areas where improvements have already been made or are in train, along with the further steps we intend to take in response to the report’s recommendations.

Improving the TRA investigation process for participants

In July 2025, we launched the Trade Remedies Advisory Service to provide improved support for businesses navigating trade remedy investigations. This built on the work of the TRA’s Pre-Application Office and now provides hands-on assistance to businesses looking to navigate trade remedies, both in making an application or engaging with investigations.

The new offer includes more proactive engagement with industries, including clear guidance through webinars for all interested parties, outreach targeting diverse industry sectors, demystifying application procedures, and dedicated SME industry support, as well as enhanced data monitoring to identify emerging trade concerns and industries requiring additional support.

In June 2026, we also launched a new version of the Trade Remedies Service (TRS) platform, through which stakeholders participate in and submit evidence for investigations. The new platform has been designed to improve usability, make processes clearer and enhance overall system functionality. It has been developed using feedback from users and informed by research and testing.

We understand the importance of transparent investigation timelines to provide greater certainty around case status, case progress and deadlines for case participants. We publish an external case timeline at the point of initiating an investigation, updating it if key dates change during an investigation. The external case timeline sets out dates of key milestones, including publication of questionnaires, questionnaire completion deadlines, verification and dates for our provisional and final determinations.

A final thought

This blog provides an overview of the research report and its main findings. For more detail, please see the research report.

If you did not take part in the independent research but would like to share your reflections on our investigation process, please contact us at: contact@traderemedies.gov.uk.