The European Union is setting new rules on unfair trading practices in the agricultural and food supply chain, it said in a notice in the April 25 Official Journal. The directive from the EU Parliament and European Council provides that EU member states should prohibit certain practices, including late payment, cancellation of orders for perishables on short notice, unilateral changes to certain terms of supply agreements, payments not related to the sale of the agricultural or food products and acts of commercial retaliation, among other things. The rules apply to situations where the buyer committing the act is larger than the supplier, as defined in size categories laid out in the directive, or the supplier that commits the act is very large. The directive sets a mechanism for submitting complaints, and provides that member states have investigatory powers and may impose fines and penalties for unfair trading practices under the directive. The new rules apply not only to suppliers and buyers inside the EU, but also to non-EU buyers and suppliers doing business in the EU.

The European Commission on April 24 adopted a proposal to create a new exemption from excise and value added tax for supplies for armed forces of European Union member states that are taking part in a European defense effort, it said in a press release. The newly adopted exemption mirrors one currently in place for EU armed forces participating in North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense operations, it said. “Under the new rules, armed forces deployed outside their own Member State would not pay VAT or excise duty to other Member States when they take part in a NATO defence effort or in a defence activity under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). By aligning the indirect tax treatment of both defence efforts, the initiative acknowledges the growing importance of the CSDP and military mobility which require supplies such as training materials, accommodation, provision of food and fuel -- all in principle currently subject to VAT,” the commission said.

The United Kingdom is negotiating agreements with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Algeria to continue current trade relations in the event that the U.K. leaves the European Union with no transition deal, the UK Department for International Trade said on two new webpages on trade with the countries. “If agreed, these arrangements could maintain the effects” of the EU trade deals with Bosnia and Algeria after a no-deal Brexit, it said. If the U.K. leaves with no deal and no agreement is reached with each respective country, each of the existing trade agreements would no longer apply, the pages said. “This would mean the UK would not have preferential trade arrangements for exports to” Algeria and Bosnia. The U.K. is also making efforts to sign a similar deal with South Korea (see 1904230030), and already has such deals in place with several other countries, including Switzerland.

In the April 24 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The United Kingdom's HM Revenue & Customs on April 23 updated its guidance on warehousing procedures to add information on what to do in cases of discrepancies on import documentation, including under- and over-shipments. All goods imported into warehouses in excess of their declared quantity will be considered dutiable and “warehoused provisionally until the matter is resolved,” according to the update.

In the April 23 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

Russia is putting in place additional sanctions against Ukraine, including new bans on imports and exports between the two countries, according to a blog post from Baker McKenzie. Effective April 18, Russia is adding to the list of goods that cannot be imported into Russia from the Ukraine tariff headings and subheadings covering paper products, apparel and footwear, metal products and machinery, among other things, according to an unofficial translation of the Russian government’s notice. Russia is also immediately adding tariff provisions covering certain oil and petroleum products and chemicals to the list of goods prohibited for export to the Ukraine. Effective June 1, Russia also is adding goods to a list of products that cannot be exported from Russia to Ukraine without a permit, including coal and more petroleum products.

The United Kingdom hopes to reach a deal with South Korea to maintain the effects of the European Union-South Korea Free Trade Agreement should the U.K. leave the EU with no transition deal, the U.K. Department for International Trade (DIT) said in guidance issued April 23. “The UK is seeking to agree arrangements with South Korea to ensure trade continues with minimal disruption after the UK leaves the EU,” with “minimal changes to tariffs and quotas, even if the UK leaves the EU without a deal,” the guidance said. If no deal is reached, trade between the U.K. and South Korea will be subject to World Trade Organization most-favored nation rates, it said.

The Eurasian Economic Union is hoping to sign a free trade agreement with Serbia in October, according to an April 11 report from Dezan Shira & Associates. The announcement came from a board member of the Eurasian Economic Commission at an international conference earlier in April in Kazakhstan. Board member Veronika Nikishina said the EAEU has concluded negotiations with Serbia and hopes to sign the agreement this year, according to the report. Nikishina also said “just a step separates” the EAEU from wrapping up negotiations with Singapore on a “free trade zone,” the report said.

The executive director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's U.S.-UK Business Council, said that even a customs union would be more complicated for U.S. exporters than the status quo. Marjorie Chorlins was speaking with reporters on a conference call April 17. "The amendment proposing a customs union came very close to passing," she said, in response to a question from Export Compliance Daily. But exactly what would be included in the customs union could vary -- it does in Norway and Turkey, she said.