London, Sept. 23, 2026 (Lusa) - The United Kingdom has closed an investigation into imports of Portuguese limestone due to a «lack of evidence» of subsidies from the Portuguese Government.

In a statement, the UK's Trade Remedies Authority stated that it had found no «evidence that the products in question benefited from a subsidy subject to countervailing measures».

The product in question is Portuguese cream/white limestone, used in «luxury architectural projects, heritage restoration and high-end commercial buildings».

This is imported into the UK in the form of «slabs» and in a finished state, ready for use.

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) launched the investigation in January 2026 following a complaint from a British producer, who alleged that limestone production in Portugal benefited from public subsidies «and that these subsidised imports were causing injury to the UK's domestic industry» in the sector.

The complaint referred to the existence of grants, non-repayable funding and other payments awarded by the Portuguese Government to support the stone industry.

«It was alleged that these grants had enabled Portuguese producers to acquire more efficient machinery and strengthen their competitive position in foreign markets,» states the TRA's press release issued on Monday.

The investigation «concluded that some of the programmes and projects had received subsidies and that some beneficiaries had obtained a financial advantage».

«However, under World Trade Organisation rules, this does not prove that the goods in question benefited from a subsidy subject to countervailing measures», it emphasised.

BM/AYLS // AYLS

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