The European Commission has unveiled a proposed response to the US tariffs on cars and automotive parts, as well as the so-called reciprocal tariffs. These countermeasures from the European Union (EU) will be adopted if the ongoing negotiations with the US administration fail. As mentioned in our last blog, the EU decided to pause for 90 days, until 14 July, the implementation of EU countermeasures on a list of US-origin products that could potentially be…
Yesterday, following the adoption of Commission implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/664, the European Commission has extended the ongoing suspension of retaliatory tariffs until 14 April 2025. These tariffs were initially adopted in 2018 (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/886) and 2020 (Implementing regulation – 2020/502 – EN – EUR-Lex) and were supposed to reapply and come into effect tomorrow. This decision was already announced by the EU trade commissioner during a hearing at the European Parliament on…
There is never a dull moment in the ongoing trade war. With effect of 12 March 2025, the US reinstated the June 2018 Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum products at a rate of 25% and extended these tariffs to a larger scope of steel and aluminum products (see our prior blog post on the US Section 232 tariffs here). On 12 March 2025, the EU announced countermeasures which shall protect European businesses and…
As reported in our earlier blog here, on Monday 10 February 2025, President Trump announced that 25% tariffs will be imposed on all steel and aluminum products imported into the United States (“US”), including from the EU and the UK which were previously subject to exclusions. These tariffs are due to come into effect on 12 March 2025. The key question now is how other jurisdictions such as the EU and the UK will retaliate. …
On 30 October 2024, as part of the Autumn Budget, the Government provided an update on its plans for the introduction of a UK carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM). In doing so the Government confirmed that the UK CBAM will apply from 1 January 2027 and that the primary legislation required to give effect to the UK CBAM will be included in the Finance Bill 2024-25. At the same time, the Government also published its…
On 28 August 2024, UK and German leaders Sir Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to work on an ambitious treaty covering issues from defence to trade, which would be part of a fresh start for the UK’s relations with the European Union (EU). As part of the same drive to improve relations with the EU, Starmer also met with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris on 29 August. After UK Prime Minister,…
For the third week, we continued our Annual Compliance Conference with key customs developments impacting on businesses today. Specifically, we discussed the reform of the Union Customs Code in the EU, key trending customs developments in EMEA, and different methods of driving significant financial savings in global supply chains. EU customs reform: biggest overhaul since 1968 Tuesday 14 May SPEAKERS: Nicole Looks (Partner, Amsterdam), Thomas Kukanza (Senior Trade Advisor, Brussels), Sylvain Guelton (Senior Associate, Brussels),…
On 21 March 2024, the French Senate (French Parliament’s higher chamber) rejected the bill of the French government proposing to approve the EU-Canada Comprehensive Trade Agreement (CETA). For several years, the European Commission and the Canadian government negotiated a comprehensive free trade agreement, including new types of provisions on investment. It was the first ever ambitious free-trade agreement that the EU concluded with a G7 country (Japan and the UK were concluded later). The CETA…
Last week, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and HM Treasury launched a public consultation on the introduction of a UK carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), following its announcement in December 2023. The CBAM proposal forms part of the UK government’s wider strategy to tackle carbon leakage. To achieve this it will impose a carbon price on imported goods with the aim of levelling the playing field and ensuring that imported goods are subject to a…
The transitional phase of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (“CBAM”) is now underway with the deadline for submitting the first CBAM quarterly reports having already passed on 31 January 2024 (although with an extension until the end of February).* The CBAM requires importers to report the embedded greenhouse gas emissions in carbon-intensive goods (initially aluminium, cement, iron and steel, electricity, fertilisers and hydrogen) and, from the commencement of the operational phase in 2026, purchase “CBAM…