The latest trade and customs insights by our team of experts
Entered into force on 1 May 2026, the new French Customs Code substantially modernises the presentation of French customs law. Although the reform was carried out without altering the substance of the law, it has immediate practical consequences for operators, who must now become familiar with a new structure and a new numbering system for the applicable provisions.
In response to rising unfair trade practices and global overcapacity, five EU Member States are calling for a significant strengthening of the Union’s trade defence instruments. Their proposals signal a shift in paradigm towards a more reactive, strategic and protective approach to safeguarding European industry.
The Presidential Executive Order of 1 May 2026 marks a significant development in the United States’ sanctions policy towards Cuba. By introducing, for the first time within this framework, a genuine mechanism of secondary sanctions targeting foreign actors, Executive Order 14404 considerably expands the extraterritorial reach of the regime. Non-U.S. companies and financial institutions are now directly exposed to asset-freezing measures for activities connected to the Cuban economy, thereby increasing the legal and operational risks associated with any engagement with the island.
The European Commission confirms, through the case concerning alkyl phosphonic acids and their sodium salts originating in China, a marked tightening of its anti-dumping policy in the chemicals sector. By departing from the lesser duty rule, it paves the way for exceptionally high duties, exceeding 200%, aimed at fully offsetting the effects of structural distortions.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on products associated with deforestation and forest degradation (“EUDR”) is undergoing a new phase of simplification. Following the one-year postponement and the simplifications introduced by Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 of 17 December 2025, the European Commission published, on 4 May 2026, an accompanying package comprising a simplification report, an updated FAQ, a revised guidance document and a draft delegated act amending Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, which determines the products and customs codes falling within the material scope of the EUDR. Companies should therefore continue their compliance efforts, while verifying whether their products or their position in the supply chain are affected by these clarifications or by the proposed adjustments to the material scope of the Regulation.
The US tariffs have once again been challenged in a ruling issued by the Court of International Trade on 7 May. This Ruling is a significant decision in principle, although it is more limited in its immediate effect and has immediately been appealed by the Trump administration implying a suspensive effect of the decision. This new element adds a further degree of uncertainty to the EU-US trade relations.