In the Jan. 15-16 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:
Slovenia recently amended its value-added tax law to reflect changes to European Union VAT rules, according to a Jan. 15 KPMG post. The changes include new forms for VAT returns and a reduced 5 percent VAT rate on books, newspapers and other periodicals. The changes also include revised penalties for violations of VAT rules and new conditions for VAT exemptions on the “intra-Community” supply of goods. The amendments follow sweeping changes to the EU’s VAT system to simplify trade and tax measures between EU member states (see 1912230057).
The European Union is amending procedures for automotive coated steel sheet imports by the automotive sector under safeguards implemented in response to U.S. Section 232 tariffs. The European Commission says procedures for demonstrating end use in the automotive industry -- required to qualify for a special tariff-rate quota only for the automotive sector (see 1909270022) -- have been difficult to implement, causing supply chain disruptions for affected companies. The commission is now revoking those end use procedures, and increasing the amount allowed under the TRQ for regular steel sheet to account for additional imports by the automotive sector as a result of difficulty implementing the end use procedures for the special TRQ. The changes take retroactive effect Oct. 1, 2019.
The United Kingdom's Export Control Joint Unit on Jan. 14 updated a series of open general export licenses, including exports for dual-use goods, military goods, chemicals, low-value shipments, information and security items, and more. The updates clarify who is eligible to use the licenses.
In the Jan. 14 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:
The United Kingdom, France and Germany plan to trigger the dispute settlement mechanism of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, potentially leading to European snapback sanctions against Iran. In a Jan. 14 statement, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the three countries still want to preserve the agreement, but “we could no longer leave the growing Iranian violations of the nuclear agreement unanswered,” Maas said, according to an unofficial translation. “We will tackle this together with all partners in the agreement. We call on Iran to participate constructively in the negotiation process that is now beginning.”
The Uni, Germany and France said they remain committed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, again urged Iran to return to the deal and expressed concerned with U.S. sanctions. “We have made clear our regret and concern at the decision by the United States to withdraw from the JCPoA and to re-impose sanctions on Iran,” the countries said in a Jan. 12 joint statement. “Despite increasingly difficult circumstances, we have worked hard to preserve the agreement … it is essential that Iran return to full compliance with its commitments.”
The United Kingdom House of Commons voted 330-231 in favor of final passage of the U.K. Withdrawal Amendment bill on Jan. 9. The passage on the “third reading” means that the bill will now go to the House of Lords, then to the queen for royal assent before it becomes law, presuming the upper house makes no amendments that would return the bill to the House of Commons, the BBC said in a report. The bill provides that the U.K. will leave the European Union on Jan. 31, and sets an end-2020 deadline for negotiations over a permanent EU-U.K. arrangement.
The European Union has updated the correlation list between its TARIC database and the updated list of dual-use items published as an annex to a notice issued Dec. 31, the European Commission said on its website. The Dec. 31 changes mostly relate to recent amendments agreed to at the Wassenaar Arrangement, according to a Jan. 6 blog post from law firm Baker McKenzie.
In the Jan. 8 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted: