UK to keep trade penalties post-Brexit

'What's crucial is what's missing from the Government's announcement today,' said Laura Cohen, chief executive of the British Ceramic Confederation. 'We still do not know what they are going to do with those underlying, most favoured nation tariffs, onto which trade remedies are added. 'If Government drops these to zero in a no-deal Brexit, then ceramic tiles and tableware, and many thousands of other goods manufactured in this country will be in jeopardy, because a flood of imports will cause untold damage to our domestic markets,' she said. 'Even a highly experienced authority would struggle with the sheer volume and complexity of reviewing all the transitioned measures, implementation of the UK's new steel safeguards as well as taking on a brand new investigations into dumping and subsidies,' said the Director General of UK Steel Gareth Stace. 'UK steel producers are at risk of exposure to unfair trading practices whilst the fledgling Trade Remedies Authority wrestles with this mammoth task and plays catch-up with its EU counterpart,' he said.