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EU and UK coordinate on further sanctions targeting Belarus alongside US and Canada

By 2 Mins Read

On 21 June 2021, the EU and UK announced coordinated sanctions against specified Belarusian individuals and entities. This follows the forced landing of a commercial aircraft in Belarus and subsequent detention of a Belarusian journalist, and suggests that the UK is continuing to align its sanctions regime with key allies following Brexit. The sanctions were further coordinated with the US and Canada. The designated parties will be subject to asset freezes, whilst individuals will be subject to…

Recast EU Dual-Use Regulation to come into force on 9 September 2021 – our summary and how to receive full analysis

By , and 3 Mins Read

On 11 June 2021, the Recast Dual-Use Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union as Regulation 2021/821 (the “Regulation”). The Regulation, which comes into force on 9 September 2021, will replace the current Dual-Use Regulation introduced in 2009. Key changes include: Two new general export authorisations: The Regulation introduces a general export authorisation for intra-group transfers of dual use software and technology to specified countries for product development purposes, that is available where…

US and EU reach understanding on large civil aircraft and China; tariffs to be suspended for five years

By 4 Mins Read

On June 15, 2021, the White House announced that the US and European Union (EU) have reached an agreement in the 16-year WTO Boeing-Airbus dispute and agreed to address shared challenges from China. The US and EU will suspend tariffs that were authorized by the WTO that are related to this dispute for five years and work together to challenge and counter China’s non-market practices in this sector in specific ways that reflect standards for fair competition. This includes collaboration on inward…

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…