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EU – New e-commerce VAT rules take effect on 1 July

By 2 Mins Read

The EU Taxation and Customs Union announced that new VAT rules on cross-border business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce transactions will enter into effect on 1 July. The following is from the announcement: Everyone in the e-commerce supply chain is affected, from online sellers and marketplaces/platforms both inside and outside the EU, to postal operators and couriers, customs and tax administrations, right through to consumers. Online sellers, including online marketplaces/platformscan register in one EU Member State and this will be valid…

UK opens consultation on rebalancing measures in response to the US Section 232 additional tariffs on UK steel, aluminium and derivatives

By 3 Mins Read

[The following is from the website of the company handling the consultation for the Department for International Trade (DIT).] As part of the UK’s new approach to US tariffs announced on 8th December 2020, the government announced it would be rolling over the rebalancing measures taken by the EU in response to the US Section 232 additional tariffs on UK steel, aluminium and derivatives. The government made clear at the time that the future of…

EU concludes two examinations on ceramic tiles and on Tequila

By 1 Min Read

On 4 May 2021, the European Commission announced that as part of its enforcement of international trade rules, the Commission services have concluded two examinations under the EU’s Trade Barriers Regulation (TBR): one concerning Saudi Arabia´s measures restricting market access to EU ceramic tiles, and one concerning Mexico’s measure affecting Tequila exports to the EU. The Trade Barriers Regulation is part of the Commission enforcement efforts in the area of international trade rules. The Trade…

US, EU issue joint statement on global steel and aluminum excess capacity

By 2 Mins Read

On May 17, 2021, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, US Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis announced the start of discussions to address global steel and aluminum excess capacity. During a virtual meeting the previous week, the leaders acknowledged the need for effective solutions that preserve our critical industries, and agreed to chart a path that ends the WTO disputes following the US application of tariffs…

EU aims to address Strategic Dependencies

By 1 Min Read

As part of its updated 2020 Industrial Strategy, the EU Commission noted that the pandemic has highlighted the trading bloc’s technological and industrial strategy dependencies, which need to be analysed and addressed as part of Europe’s economic recovery. The Commission presented the findings of a review of products imported into the EU on which the EU is highly dependent in notably sensitive sectors, along with the results of six in-depth reviews providing insights on the origin…

EU – Revised EU dual-use export controls passed by EU institutions

By , and 1 Min Read

On 10 May, the Council of the European Union adopted a revised version of the EU’s Dual-Use Regulation. This is the first major reform to the structure of the EU’s export control regime since 2009. The text, which was passed by the European Parliament on 26 March, has been under negotiation for five years and was agreed in November 2020 (see our previous blog post). Key changes include two new general export authorisations, stricter controls on cyber-surveillance and technical assistance,…

EU – European Parliament adopts non-binding resolution

By 1 Min Read

The European Parliament has adopted a non-binding resolution in the event of Russian troops entering Ukraine. The resolution proposes that imports of oil and gas from Russia to the EU be immediately stopped, that Russia should be excluded from the SWIFT payment system (used for international bank transfers) and that assets in the EU of oligarchs close to the Russian authorities and their families should be frozen in the event of Russian troops entry into…

EU adjusts additional customs duties on imports of certain products originating in the US

By 2 Mins Read

The EU, as a result of the United States’ failure to bring the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (‘CDSOA’) in compliance with its obligations under the World Trade Organization (‘WTO’) agreements, was authorised to impose an additional customs duty on certain products of the United States. In conformity with the WTO authorisation to suspend the application of concessions to the United States, the Commission is to adjust the level of suspension annually to the…

European Commission publishes guidelines on the new responsible economic operator requirement for products distance sold to EU customers

By 1 Min Read

On 5 March 2021, the European Commission published guidelines on the practical implementation of Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 (“Market Surveillance Regulation”). From 16 July 2021, Article 4 will prevent distance sellers based outside of the EU from selling certain types of CE marked products (including toys, electrical goods and PPE) to customers in the EU where there is no EU-based economic operator responsible for compliance. This is of particular relevance to sellers using online marketplaces to sell…

US – USTR announces next steps in DST Sec. 301 investigations [updated]

By 3 Mins Read

On March 26, 2021, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the next steps in its Section 301 investigations of Digital Service Taxes (DSTs) adopted or under consideration by ten US trading partners. In January, USTR found that the DSTs adopted by Austria, India, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom were subject to action under Section 301 because they discriminated against US digital companies, were inconsistent with principles of international taxation,…