EU’s response to US and other threats

Anthony Buckley (CEO, Anthony Buckley Consulting Ltd.) shares his personal outlook on the EU trade and customs landscape for 2026, a topic directly relevant to customs and trade compliance professionals tracking US tariff developments, the e-commerce de minimis phase-out and EU trade-agreement progress.

Topics covered:

• US tariff policy: current average US tariff level, estimated 2025 tariff revenue, and the "art of the deal" negotiating pattern seen over Greenland
• Abolition of the €150 de minimis threshold, the new temporary €3 charge on B2C parcels from 1 July 2026, and national/EU-wide handling charges on low-value (H7) imports
• Growth of e-commerce parcel volumes into the EU and the pressure this places on customs administrations and the Customs Data Hub
• The EU's anti-coercion instrument and questions around EU unity in the face of external pressure from the US, Russia and China
• Delays affecting EU trade agreements, including Mercosur (Court of Justice referral) and CETA (national ratification)
• Growth in EU import-related regulation over the past twenty years and its impact on competitiveness, referencing the Draghi report
• Geopolitical risk factors for 2026: Russia-Ukraine, China's economic pressures, and non-tariff trade barriers
• Practical implications and opportunities for businesses navigating a high-tariff, high-volatility trading environment

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.