International sanctions and export controls are critical tools for promoting global security and addressing geopolitical challenges. As these measures continue to evolve, businesses face increasing … complexity in ensuring compliance while maintaining operational efficiency. This overview presents the latest trends and challenges in export controls and sanctions from a range of countries. They were presented by experts and practitioners from the US, France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Brazil at the 24th Author’s Meeting.

News in brief: safety and security declaration update; Single Trade Window postponed; TRA recommend duty on Chinese excavators; UK to join CPTPP updates; continental shelf declarations; negotiations … on the UK-South Korea FTA resume; ICS2 and NCTS5 update; Simplified Process for Internal Market Movements (SPIMM).

Article 34 (7)(ііі) of the Union Customs Code provides for that the customs authorities shall revoke BTI decisions where they are no longer compatible with the classification decisions, classification … opinions or amendments of the HS nomenclature Explanatory Notes. In such cases, the European Commission issues a Communication and publishes it in the 'C' series of the Official Journal of the European Union. This article provides an overview of the recent Communication C/2024/5990 and the classification opinions contained therein.

News in week 48: final decision by CJEU in 'Harley Davidson' case on relocating production to avoid retaliatory tariffs; the link of VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) with the EU Customs Reform; … expiry review of anti-dumping on sweetcorn in kernels; EU launches consultation on dispute with India over tariffs on ICT goods; Commission challenges China's anti-dumping tariffs on EU brandy at the WTO; updates of CBAM documents; changes to the import control requirements for certain organic products; Botswana to establish export certification point for rough diamonds; authorisation for the importation of cherry plants from the UK (phytosanitary measures); and more news!

News at a glance: Export security regime for certain types of agricultural products introduced; Ukrainian Customs Decision System pilot project launched; Automated processing of customs declarations … launched; Summary of 2-year journey of Ukraine's use of NTCS; Guidelines for implementation of Customs Code updates published

Dmitry Grozoubinski is a recognized authority on international trade policy and the author of “Why Politicians Lie About Trade”. The book is an accessible guide to how international trade really … works. It gives voters a peak behind the curtain, and equips them with the tools to ask the right questions of those in power promising miracles or warning of disasters. In an interview with CustomsClear’s Anna Jerzewska, Dmitry talks about his book and experience venturing into the world of customs.

The use of the ‘legislative purpose’ criterion in the classification of goods (i.e. whether the product should be taxed or not) leads to a lack of uniformity and undermines the principle underlying … the HS Convention. Therefore, it is proposed to minimize the use of the ‘legislative purpose’ criterion and to return to the traditional classification rules of the World Customs Organization Harmonized System Convention. The article below is a short version of the full article, which has been published in the World Customs Journal, 2024, Issue 18(2). Publication of the short version with a reference to the full version was approved by the WCJ.

Do EU rules have a retroactive effect? There is no clear answer to this question. It has been the subject of a number of rulings by the Court of Justice of the EU in relation to specific acts … and situations. This article reviews one of the recent CJEU's judgments on this issue. It concerns the retroactive application of anti-dumping duties when they have already been repealed.

New Commission guidelines for cyber-surveillance exporters were published on 16 October 2024. The new guidelines aim to make EU controls “more effective and consistent across Member States”. … The information provided by the Commission is not new but offers a clarification on how controls should be carried out by traders. They assist EU exporters in navigating export controls for cyber-surveillance items by providing a step-by-step approach to transaction screening.

News in brief: safety and security declarations, reduced data set and Single Window delayed. UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) consultation response and plastic packaging tax consultation … response published. Two new Tariff notices issued. New guidance on internal market movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. New guidance on preventing Russian export control and sanctions evasion. Trade remedies notices: registration of imports of biodiesel originating from China. Trade remedies notices: registration of imports of certain engine oils and hydraulic fluids from Lithuania and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Tobacco Duty: changes to rates from 30 October 2024. Postponement of the Tariff Data Structure – Autonomous Suspensions.

News in week 44: Combined Nomenclature 2025; WCO exploratory study on the possible strategic review of the HS; definitive countervailing duties on imports of electric vehicles; initiation of … an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of choline chloride; EU-Colombia, Peru trade agreement - next step; CBAM updated documents; Commission opens formal proceedings against Temu.

Everyone knows how crucial accurate customs classification is to global trade compliance. In this article, the author explores the importance of accurate data in customs classification, which … data matters, and how to trust the data you are working with. She also explores the evolving role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play in assigning tariff codes now and potentially in the future.

The topic of sanctions is of particular importance in EU Customs Law, as sanctions are relevant tools for ensuring the proper enforcement of the latter in EU Member States. In this regard, the … Proposal of 17 May 2023 for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 952/2013, highlights the negative effects of the lack of harmonization in terms of customs sanctions. It is emphasized therein that customs penalties vary greatly across Member States and are subject to evolution over time; in addition, the significant divergences between Member States in the application of sanctions against breaches of customs legislation can lead to a distortion of competition, loopholes and “customs shopping”.

This article talks about the meaning of “ex” before commodity codes listed under Annex I of the EU Deforestation Regulation. With confusion around the interpretation of these codes, it’s one … of the points that would need to be clarified before the Regulation can be implemented.

Customs valuation disputes are very common worldwide. In Israel, valuation disputes concerning foodstuff supervision costs were resolved few years ago, in favour of the State. It was ruled that … these supervision costs are inseparable from the goods value, and therefore dutiable.

In this article, the author outlines the content of his presentation and the subsequent questions and answers session during the meeting of the Council's Customs Union Working Group (CUG) on … 19 September 2024, in Brussels. The author was invited by the Hungarian Presidency as a customs law expert.