The European Union is adopting changes to its system of tariff-rate quotas for agricultural and industrial products, it said in a notice published June 20 in the EU Official Journal. The changes include the creation of six new TRQs, increases to quantity for three TRQs, and the elimination of five TRQs, many because implementation of internationally-agreed tariff cuts for information technology goods mean they are no longer necessary. The changes mostly take effect July 1.

The European Union announced its latest round of tariff suspensions for goods that are otherwise unavailable in the EU, it said in a notice published June 20. Similar to what the U.S. Miscellaneous Tariff Bill allows, the duty suspensions allow products to be imported at reduced or zero duty rates. The EU is adding 97 products not currently covered by duty suspensions to its list, and modifying the conditions for 47 products that are already listed as covered by duty suspensions, it said. The EU is also ending 96 duty suspensions, either because it they are no longer in the “interest of the Union,” conflict with EU sustainability goals, or are no longer necessary because of internationally agreed tariff cuts for information technology goods. The changes apply from July 1.

In the June 19 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

In the June 18 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The European Union released a report detailing what it says are “45 new trade barriers” outside the EU in 2018 that damaged EU businesses, costing them “billions of Euros every year,” the EU said in a June 17 press release. The EU said the report “confirms” the rise of trade barriers encountered by European companies in foreign markets, which is now at 425 barriers in 59 countries.

In the June 17 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

In the June 14 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

U.S. and European Union negotiators have reached a deal to increase U.S. exports of beef to the EU, the European Commission said in a June 13 press release. Under the agreement in principle, the EU will allocate 35,000 tons of its beef tariff-rate quota to U.S. exporters, with the remainder of the TRQ allocated to all other exporting countries. The increase will be phased in over a seven-year period, the release said.

The European Union Council is considering upholding sanctions placed on 17 Russians for “undermining or threatening” the sovereignty of Ukraine, the council said in a June 7 notice. The sanctions stem from a 2014 decision by the council. The notice contains a new statement of reasons for upholding the sanctions, which may be obtained by the sanctioned individuals before June 14, the notice said.

The United Kingdom’s House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee published a June 12 report rebuking the UK’s current sanctions policy, calling it “fragmented and incoherent.” The report called on the U.K.’s National Security Council “to begin an urgent review” of the country’s sanctions strategy and to report findings to Parliament by the end of 2019.