UK maintains biodiesel import duties on Indonesia for another five years

By Romel S. Gurky

The UK government will maintain anti dumping duties on biodiesel imports from Indonesia for another five years after accepting a recommendation from the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), preserving tariffs ranging from 8% to 18%.

The decision, announced on Thursday, follows a transition review launched on Dec. 6, 2024 to assess whether the existing measures remained necessary and whether the product definition should be revised.

As part of the review, the TRA recommended excluding sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from the scope of the measure, citing differences in production processes, feedstocks, customer base and limited interchangeability with biodiesel.

Under the revised definition, the duties apply to fatty acid mono alkyl esters or paraffinic gasoils obtained from synthesis or hydrotreatment of non fossil origin, whether in pure form or blended, excluding sustainable aviation fuel.

The review covered imports during the investigation period from Oct. 1, 2023 through Sept. 30, 2024.

The TRA concluded that the duties should remain in force, and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted the recommendation.

Biodiesel is widely used as a road transport fuel in the United Kingdom.

The TRA said the review forms part of the UK's post Brexit process of reassessing trade remedy measures that were originally imposed by the European Union and carried over into UK law after the country's withdrawal from the bloc. The biodiesel case is among the final transition reviews to be completed.

The Trade Remedies Authority is the UK's independent body responsible for investigating whether trade remedy measures are needed to address unfair import practices or unexpected import surges. It operates as an arm's length body of the Department for Business and Trade.

Editing by Alexander Ginting