Trade News

Trade News
27
Mar
The Council and the Parliament today agreed to overhaul the EU customs framework, giving the Union a more modern toolbox to deal with trends such as huge increases in trade volumes, especially in e-commerce, a fast-growing number of EU standards that must be checked at the border and challenging geopolitical realities.
The reform establishes innovative new instruments to facilitate global trade, collect customs duties more efficiently and to tighten controls on non-compliant, dangerous or unsafe goods. Overall, the new system will allow for more robust controls without...
27
Mar
The Supreme Court’s February 20, 2026, decision in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump upended the legal basis for billions of dollars in tariffs on imports imposed by the Trump administration. The Court held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) did not authorize the sweeping tariff regime, but it did not address how past collections should be refunded, leaving refund mechanics and timing to be worked out through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in coordination with the U.S. Court of International...
26
Mar
Suspension clause in case the US introduces new tariffs
Sunrise clause: tariff preferences only effective if the US respects its commitments
Sunset clause: tariff preferences set to expire by 31 March 2028, unless renewed
On Thursday, MEPs adopted their position on two proposals implementing the tariff aspects of the EU-US Turnberry trade deal.
The texts, if agreed with EU member states, will eliminate most tariffs on US industrial goods and provide preferential market access for a wide range of US...
25
Mar
Introduction
International trade developments have now been hitting the headlines for many months, amid ongoing global trade agreements, trade arguments, and increased protectionism, all of which have become gradually more commonplace across the globe. Some of these carry the risk of major tariffs and duty increases, which can be high and abrupt, and can significantly interrupt supply chains and add material costs. These are also in addition to numerous emerging and rigorous frameworks affecting global trading conditions, including not-least those...
24
Mar
The EU and Australia have today announced the adoption of a groundbreaking Security and Defence Partnership. They have also concluded negotiations for an ambitious and balanced free trade agreement (FTA) and agreed to launch formal negotiations for the association of Australia to Horizon Europe, the world's largest funding programme for research and innovation. With these steps, the EU and Australia are delivering mutually beneficial outcomes and further reinforcing their already close relations in a time of geopolitical uncertainty.
The FTA...
23
Mar
On March 2, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) delivered President Donald Trump’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda and 2025 Annual Report to Congress. This year’s trade agenda seeks to promote U.S. interests abroad and reduce trade deficits by pursuing trade deals with other countries and strengthening domestic manufacturing.
2025 Annual Report
The 2025 Annual Report provides a comprehensive overview of U.S. trade agreements, negotiations, and enforcement activities. It covers various trade initiatives, preference programs, and bilateral and multilateral engagements...
23
Mar
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has submitted a series of declarations to the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) in Atmus Filtration, Inc. v. United States (Court No. 26-01259) — on March 6, March 12, and March 19 — outlining both the legal and operational framework for refunds of duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). These developments follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s February 20, 2026, decision, holding that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose...
20
Mar
The Current Status of IEEPA Refunds
To quickly recap, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA tariffs were unlawful in late February. As a result, those tariffs stopped being collected, and the U.S. Court of International Trade has since ruled that importers are entitled to refunds.
Shortly after, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) indicated that its existing systems cannot process the refunds tied to the IEEPA tariffs but would begin building a new mechanism to handle them. The agency recently...
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