EU unilateral preferential arrangements - managing tariff changes

Kevin Holzke, Director of Tax and Export Control at AWB Consulting GmbH, explains the EU's unilateral preferential trade arrangements and how customs and trade compliance teams can manage the tariff changes that arise from them.

Topics covered:

• Overview of the EU's free trade agreement landscape: bilateral FTAs (pan-European zone, Pan-Euro-Mediterranean zone, UK, Canada, Mexico, Chile, the Asian bloc), regional blocs (SADC, EAC), and unilateral arrangements
• The Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) and its three schemes: Standard GSP, GSP+ and Everything But Arms (EBA)
• Eligibility criteria for each scheme, including the 27 international conventions required for GSP+
• The legal mechanism for withdrawing tariff preferences (product graduation) under the GSP Regulation
• The European Commission's three-year review cycle and how suspensions are published and enter into force
• The 2026-2028 suspension period, including the countries and product sections affected
• Kenya's upcoming removal from the GSP scheme due to its own bilateral FTA with the EU
• How changes are reflected in TARIC
• Practical guidance for companies on managing tariff-change risk through supply chain diversification, pricing adjustments and compliance planning

For a broader overview of the topic, please watch the full recording. The slides are available in the Resources section.

Please note that this summary was generated using AI, based on the recording and available slides.