CLECAT AT THE 76TH TRADE CONTACT GROUP PLENARY
On 4 November, CLECAT attended the 76th plenary of the Trade Contact Group (TCG) the main forum where the European Commission discusses customs matters with business. The Commission confirmed that the TCG will keep its role as the new EU Customs Authority takes shape. It also gave an update on the EU Customs Data Hub, the central IT system at the heart of the Customs Reform, which must be operational by July 2028. Restrictions on certain goods under non-customs legislation will be addressed at a later stage.
Most of the meeting was devoted to the first draft rules on how goods bought online from outside the EU will be cleared in future. These cover the import process step by step, a new trusted trader status, customs warehouses for online sales and how the value of goods is calculated. CLECAT asked how these rules would work in practice for logistics companies operating across many countries, and called for business to be consulted at national as well as EU level. Comments are being collected and a revised draft is expected before the next meeting in February.
The Commission also recalled the measures already in place for low-value parcels, including the EUR 3 duty introduced in July and the EUR 2 handling fee per item applied since 1 November. Express operators reported that the new requirement to identify each item is working well so far.
On the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which places a carbon price on imports of goods such as steel, cement and aluminium, the Commission reviewed the first year of application. Importers will begin buying certificates in February 2027. The Commission also gave a brief update on a study of special customs procedures, such as processing goods under customs control.
Finally, CER and CLECAT presented an update on claims by the Polish customs authorities against logistics operators for duties on goods wrongly declared by their clients, in some cases many years earlier. European Industry associations stressed that operators acting in good faith should not be held liable for fraud they could not detect, and asked for the support of the Commission as well as clear guidance on the implementation of relevant protective articles in the Customs Code.