On 22 May 2026, the Council of the EU has approved a one‑year suspension of 5.5–6.5% customs duties on certain nitrogen‑based fertilisers, including fertiliser inputs. The measure aims to ease cost pressures on farmers and reduce reliance on Russian and Belarusian imports. The proposal for the suspension can be found here. The measure is intended to reduce cost pressures on EU farmers and the fertiliser industry at a time when fertiliser prices have increased significantly…
On 22 May 2026, the Council of the European Union formally adopted the revised Generalised Scheme of Preferences Regulation (“revised GSP Regulation”), which provides a strengthened framework for granting unilateral preferential access to the EU market for developing countries while reinforcing the conditions attached to those benefits. The reform reflects the EU’s policy objective of using trade preferences as a partnership tool to promote sustainable development, respect for human rights and good governance. It follows…
On 20 May 2026, the Council presidency and the European Parliament reached an agreement on two regulations aimed at implementing the tariff-related aspects of the framework on a agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade between the EU and the U.S. (the “Trade Agreement Framework”), announced on 21 August 2025, following the EU–U.S. Joint Statement of 27 July 2025 in Turnberry (see our prior blog post on this topic here). In essence, the Trade Agreement…
On 26 March 2026, the European Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on the most comprehensive and ambitious reform of EU Customs Law since 1968. The agreement finalizes negotiations after three years since the European Commission published its draft proposal in 2023 (see our prior blog post here). The agreement sets the course for a fundamental transformation of the EU customs framework from a declaration-based system to a data-driven, risk-focused and highly digitized model.…
On 7 October 2025, the European Commission unveiled a proposal for a Regulation with reference COM(2025)726 introducing a new trade defense regime for steel imports (“Proposal”). These new measures deliver on the commitments set out in the EU Steel and Metal Action Plan of 7 March 2025 and seek to address persistent challenges of overcapacity and unfair trade practices. The measures are a result of a review of the current steel safeguard measures imposed back…
On 5 August 2025, the European Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1727, suspending the commercial rebalancing measures imposed under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1564. The suspension follows the political agreement reached between the EU and the US on 27 July 2025 (see our prior blog post on the EU – US Trade Deal here) and signals the EU’s intent to continue the negotiations constructively. On 24 July 2025, the EU published Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 2025/1564…
On 27 July 2025, President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new deal on tariffs and trade between the United States and the European Union. The agreement aims to stabilize EU – U.S. trade relations and prevent a broader tariff escalation. Early reporting on and statements about the new agreement indicates that a single tariff rate of 15% will apply to most imports into the United States as well as…
On 15 May 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) has delivered a judgment in the ‘Tauritus’ case, offering crucial guidance on how to determine the customs value of imported products when their final price is not fixed at the time of importation but is subject to a provisional pricing arrangement. The ruling provides important considerations and clarification for businesses engaged in transactions with such pricing mechanisms. The judgement can be found via…
On 7 May 2025, the EU and Singapore took a step forward by signing a landmark Digital Trade Agreement (“DTA”). The DTA is a self-standing agreement – meaning it is separate to the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and the EU-Singapore Investment Protection Agreement. This comprehensive agreement goes beyond traditional trade deals, focusing specifically on facilitating digital trade and addressing emerging challenges in the digital economy. Upon implementation, the DTA should bolster consumer confidence, guarantee reliable data…
On 30 April 2025, the European Court of Justice (“CJEU“) issued a judgment on the concept of repayment granted “in error” as laid down in Article 116(7) of the Union Customs Code (“UCC“). This article (116 (7) of the UCC) provides that if customs authorities have granted repayment or remission in error, the original customs debt shall be re-instated (insofar not time-barred). The CJEU ruled that the concept of repayment granted in ‘error’ should be…