What British and European exporters should know about authentication of origin self-certification
What British and European exporters should know about authentication of origin self-certification Self-certification of origin has become the default proof of origin in many modern Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) – valued by businesses for cutting cost and paperwork. But as origin procedures evolve and become more digitised, the ‘statement on origin’ is also changing: new […]
Is the UK Single Trade window really “shelved”?
Is the UK Single Trade window really “shelved”? A single trade window (STW) is a digital platform, a one-stop shop, for submitting and exchanging data related to border clearance between government agencies, traders and other parties. Last week, the Financial Times reported that the government has shelved the UK’s Single Trade Window project after spending […]
De Minimis Thresholds in the Digital Age: Evolution, Challenges, and Policy Implications
De Minimis Thresholds in the Digital Age: Evolution, Challenges, and Policy Implications Article published in Global Trade and Customs Journal Volume 21, Issue 1(2026), pp. 53 – 61. Co-authored with Walter Van der Meiren. This article examines the evolution and current challenges of de minimis thresholds worldwide, particularly in the context of rapid e-commerce growth. Originally designed as […]
Exporting from UK Freeports: Duty Drawback, Origin and Subsidies
Exporting from UK Freeports: Duty Drawback, Origin and Subsidies Article published in September 2022. It has been well over a year since eight Freeports in England were announced by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, during his delivery of the March 2021 Budget. The successful locations were: East Midlands, Freeport East (Felixstowe and […]
The e-commerce challenge: Is importing low-value consignments going to become more cumbersome in the EU and the US?
The e-commerce challenge: Is importing low-value consignments going to become more cumbersome in the EU and the US? In the last few months, terms such as e-commerce and de minimis (threshold below which imported goods are not subject to tariffs) have made headlines both in the EU and in the US. The rapid growth of […]
Should the UK rejoin PEM?
Should the UK rejoin PEM? Whenever the topic of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) review comes up, the Pan-European Mediterranean (PEM) origin cumulation zone is one of the topics mentioned as potentially in scope. Recently, several reports and organizations have included rejoining PEM as one of the recommendations for the new Government. Rejoining PEM […]
Implications of the latest Harley-Davidson ruling
Implications of the latest Harley-Davidson ruling It is no secret that non-preferential origin can actually be more difficult to determine than preferential origin. The importance of non-preferential origin, in the age of new trade wars and border-applied sustainability policies is increasing. For that reason, the recent judgement by the Court of Justice of the European […]
Top five challenges for European customs in 2025
Top five challenges for European customs in 2025 (Blog written in August 2024) Someone recently asked me what are the current top challenges for customs in Europe. The article is an attempt to summarise the answer to this question. These are the five issues that, in my opinion, are likely to impact the customs industry […]
Insight: looking ahead to the new PEM rules of origin convention
Insight: looking ahead to the new PEM rules of origin convention On 7 December 2023, the Pan European Mediterranean Convention Joint Committee reached a deal on the modernisation of rules of origin underpinning trade relations of the EU and its neighbours. After over a decade of talks and negotiations the new rules will finally be […]
Sustainability regulations will affect customs
Sustainability regulations will affect customs Companies need to get organised to make sure they can meet the EU’s new regulatory requirements at import. With the COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine and increasing geopolitical tensions, controlling which goods enter and leave a customs territory has become a question of strategic importance. With that, the role of […]
