The UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has closed its subsidy investigation into imports of creamy/white limestone from Portugal, finding no evidence that the goods concerned benefited from a countervailable subsidy, according to the agency's 21 September 2026 announcement. Creamy/white limestone is a natural stone product used in high-end architectural projects, heritage restorations and premium commercial builds.

The TRA opened the investigation in January 2026 after an application by a UK producer, which alleged that Portuguese government support for the stone industry, across four programmes including grants and non-refundable financing, was subsidising manufacture and injuring UK producers. The TRA said it could not establish all the elements that make a subsidy countervailable for any of the programmes, such as an executed financial contribution, a benefit attributable to a producer during the investigation period, or specificity.

The investigation covered 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025, with an injury period from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2025. The TRA noted that some programmes received subsidies and some recipients gained a financial advantage, but said this does not establish, under World Trade Organization rules, that the goods benefited from a countervailable subsidy.