What measures does the latest EU sanctions package against Russia and Belarus bring? How have the rules on the protection of the steel market changed in the European Union since 1 July? And what important innovations can we find in the current EU regulations on autonomous tariff suspensions and quotas? You will find the answers in our article.
The European Union has adopted the 21st sanctions package against Russia and Belarus. From the perspective of international trade, the new measures focus primarily on the extension of export restrictions, new import bans and the prevention of circumvention of sanctions already in force.
The Council of the EU added a further 51 entities to the list of entities subject to stricter export restrictions on dual-use goods and technologies. These are entities supporting the Russian military-industrial complex. Some of them are located in third countries, namely China, including Hong Kong, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, and contribute to Russia’s circumvention of export restrictions. The trade flows concerned include, but are not limited to, microelectronics, CNC machine tools and semiconductor processing equipment.
At the same time, the ban on the export of goods and technologies used by the Russian military industry has been extended. The new restrictions concern, for example, selected metal powders and alloys used in the aerospace and defense industries, self-adhesive materials and equipment, or components intended for drones and missiles.
The EU has also extended the ban on imports of goods that generate significant revenue for Russia. For example, some metal ores, raw zinc, metal oxides, glass products, imitation pearls and car parts are newly affected. Similar trade measures were also adopted against Belarus, in particular in the area of imports of goods generating significant revenues and exports of items usable in the military industry.
Therefore, EU traders should update the sanctions screening of business partners, including for companies established outside Russia and Belarus. Export controls are increasingly also applied to entities in third countries that may be among the normal trading partners of European companies. At the same time, it is appropriate to examine the technical parameters and classification of the exported goods, the end-user, the intended end-use and measures to prevent re-export to Russia.
We will be happy to help you with setting up or revising processes in the field of export controls and sanction compliance.
As of 1 July 2026, Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 applies, which replaces the previous EU safeguard measures on steel imports. The aim of the new regulation is to limit the negative effects of global overcapacity on the European steel industry. The regulation introduces tariff-rate quotas for certain categories of steel products with a total annual volume of around 18.3 million tonnes. Once the relevant quota has been exhausted, an additional duty of 50 % of the customs value of the goods will be applied.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1457 complements the basic Regulation by providing for the breakdown of tariff-rate quotas between countries and product categories. Part of the quotas is available under the most-favoured-nation (MFN) clause, while another part is reserved for countries that have a free trade agreement with the EU.
Importers should verify that steel products fall into regulated categories and should also monitor the availability of the relevant quota. At the same time, they should prepare for the requirements associated with documenting the country in which the steel was originally smelted and cast. An additional duty of 50 % may be levied in the event of exhaustion or incorrect application of the quota.
We will be happy to help you assess the impact of the new regulation and set up the appropriate customs procedures.
With Regulation 2026/1463, the Council of the EU updated the list of tariff suspensions for selected agricultural and industrial products. For well-defined goods that are not available on the Union market, the suspension allows imports at a reduced or zero duty rate, without quantitative restrictions. The changes relate in particular to the extension of the list of existing suspensions to include new products, as well as modifications to the description of goods and tariff classification for suspensions that were adopted in the past.
With Regulation 2026/1465 , the Council of the EU updated the list of autonomous tariff quotas, for which tariff relief can only be drawn up to a specified amount. New quotas have been opened, some descriptions and TARIC codes have been modified, and selected existing quotas have been amended or terminated. The amendments will apply from 1 July 2026.
Importers can claim the relief in the customs declaration if the goods comply with the specified customs code, description, technical parameters and any end-use conditions. In addition, for tariff rate quotas, the correct sequence number of the quota must be provided and its available balance must be verified.
How can we help you?
Our customs team will help you assess the impact of new customs and sanction measures on your business activities. We offer support in setting up export controls, sanction screening of business partners and screening of goods, end users and intended end use. At the same time, we help you make the right use of tariff rate quotas and suspensions and minimize the associated customs costs and compliance risks.
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