The United Kingdom's Department for International Trade updated its guidance on continuity trade agreements with non-European Union countries in a no-deal Brexit scenario, according to a Nov. 14 notice. The guidance added Jordan to the list of signed trade agreements.
The European Union-Singapore free trade agreement contains several significant rules of origin that may impact companies’ ability to benefit from the deal, KPMG said in a Nov. 13 post. The deal, which will take effect Nov. 21, is expected to eliminate Singapore tariffs on EU goods and remove all EU tariffs within a few years (see 1911080069). The deal’s rules of origin will be used to determine whether goods are eligible for preferential treatment and are product-specific, meaning the criteria that determines whether an item qualifies for a preferential tariff varies from product to product, KPMG said.
The European Commission will soon introduce the “world’s first comprehensive database” of procurement data and barriers to international trade and procurement, the commission said Nov. 13. The database will provide “detailed data” on government contracts and trade barriers faced by European Union companies, and aims to improve EU companies’ access to public procurement contracts in non-EU countries. The database covers nine “key EU trading partners,” the commission said: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States.
The European Commission recently issued its 2019 report on “bottlenecks” in the supply chain that restrict the flow of materials used for technologies in Europe’s defense and civil industries. The report focuses on five dual-use technologies -- advanced batteries, fuel cells, robotics, unmanned vehicles and 3D printing -- and details how Europe can strengthen its position “along the selected technologies’ supply chains,” the commission said. The commission said “potential opportunities for common policy action” include increasing “collaboration between stakeholders” and increasing industry involvement with “special emphasis” on small and medium-sized businesses.
In the Nov. 11-12 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:
The United Kingdom's Export Control Joint Unit fined nine British exporters for export violations of dual-use goods from May to October, according to a Nov. 12 notice. The fines included penalties of between $5,500 and about $100,000 for exporters who failed to acquire appropriate export licenses for military goods.
A European Union effort aimed at harmonizing value-added tax measures across member nations will take effect in Hungary on Jan. 1, 2020, KPMG said in a Nov. 11 post. The European Commission recently issued a draft version of its “explanatory notes” on the new rules, which will include four changes, KPMG said: a “simplified treatment for call-off stock,” unified rules to simplify chain transactions, a “mandatory” VAT identification number to apply the zero VAT rate and “simplified proof of intra-Community supplies.” The explanatory notes will provide guidelines for “adjusting to the new rules as well as guidance for possible practical challenges,” the post said.
The European Commission recently released its 2019 Export Control Handbook for Chemicals, with information on goods on the dual-use control list, Common Military List, Syria restricted list and more. The report contains current export control regulations for certain goods and a list of controlled chemicals arranged by Export Control Number, Chemical Abstract Service number and Combined Nomenclature code.
The United Kingdom, Germany and France said they are concerned about Iran’s latest decision to restart uranium enrichments in a breach of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, saying Europe’s efforts to reduce tensions and sanctions are “made increasingly difficult.” In a Nov. 11 statement, the countries urged Iran to “reverse all measures inconsistent” with the JCPOA.
The European Commission on Nov. 12 sent its preliminary findings to Cambodia in an investigation on whether the country should keep its “Everything But Arms” trade preferences that was triggered by human rights concerns, the European Commission said in press release. Cambodia now has one month to react to the report, after which the EU will make a final decision in February 2020 on whether to temporarily end Cambodia’s tariff preferences.