Following a busy week in trade, with numerous US court decisions over the past days, businesses may be left wondering as the week wraps up: where does the recent flurry of decisions leave us? Where things stand Refresher on how we got here
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…
In a context of increasing trade barriers to Brazilian exports, especially the additional tariffs imposed by the United States (US Reciprocal Tariffs) that include Brazilian exports, in addition to environmental restrictions on the export of Brazilian products by the European Union and other countries (such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and other carbon control mechanisms (e.g. UK CBAM), imposed by the European Union and other countries), Law No. 15.122/2025 (known as the “Economic Reciprocity Law”)…
Following the 90-day pause by President Trump on the individualized reciprocal tariffs (see our blog post here), the European Union (EU) followed suit and introduced a 90-day postponement of its retaliatory tariffs aimed at the US. This decision was made to allow both parties to engage in further negotiations and potentially reach a more amicable trade agreement. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed President Trump’s decision, stating that the pause would help stabilize…
Yesterday, President Trump announced a 90-day postponement of the individualized reciprocal tariffs for most countries (see our blog post on these tariffs here), with the notable exception of China. This decision comes amidst ongoing global trade tensions and aims to provide temporary relief to international trade partners. However, the baseline tariff of 10% for most countries worldwide, which took effect on April 5, 2025, remains in place without a specified end date. China had previously indicated…
Introduction Yesterday Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič at the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) held a press conference following the recent developments following Trump’s “Liberation Day” Tariffs Announcement (see our blog post on that topic here). Commissioner Šefčovič addressed the current trade landscape between the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), highlighting both the challenges and opportunities for strategic collaboration. The Impact of Tariffs on EU Exports Approximately €380 billion worth of EU exports to the US,…
In the latest of a series of recent tariff developments, the White House has announced a temporary indefinite suspension of tariffs on certain goods from Canada and Mexico which comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) origin requirement, effective from 7 March 2025. The tariffs, initially imposed on 4 March 2025, included a 25% duty on Canadian and Mexican goods, with a reduced 10% rate for Canadian energy products. While several White House officials have…
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…
President Donald Trump confirmed on March 3, 2025, that the long-anticipated tariffs called for on Canada and Mexico would take effect, alongside additional tariffs against Chinese imports. The 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico came into force on March 4, 2025, after a 30-day suspension of the measures, which had been paused pending negotiations between the countries. An additional 10% tariff has been imposed against Chinese imports, which will be applied on top of the…
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has resumed drafting a decree on the customs procedure for e-commerce goods by releasing a new draft (“Draft Decree”) to govern various issues on cross-border e-commerce. These issues include customs declarants, risk management, data processing, import permit exemption, import duty, customs valuation and the customs procedure. The Draft Decree focuses on the following issues: Owners of websites and applications providing e-commerce services, transportation enterprises, customs brokerage agents, bonded warehouse business…