Trade barriers
Trade barriers can take many forms. They can relate to
- tariffs - antidumping duties, safeguard duties
- customs procedures
- administrative burden
- import licensing
- standards
- labelling or packaging requirements
- trade defence
- subsidies: countervailing duties on subsidised goods
- lack of insufficient IPR protection
- discriminatory treatment vis-à-vis national treatment
See how to report a trade barrier or search in our database of registered trade barriers
Why report a trade barrier?
The European Commission might be able to help you if you are facing a barrier to trade. Inform us and we will examine the possibilities to resolve the barrier so that your exports to countries outside of the EU can grow. This help is provided to all businesses, small and large, in Europe at all stages of exporting.
How to report a trade barrier
Tell us about your business:
- In which sector do you work?
- How can we reach you?
Tell us about your problem:
- In which country do you face the barrier?
- Which problem do you face exactly?
Report a trade barrier to DG Trade
You can also report your barrier to your Member State and/or your industry association.
How do we respond
Once you reported a trade barrier, we:
- Analyse the reported barrier
As soon as a barrier is reported to us, we check if this barrier is already in our database. If not, the relevant geographical and sectorial colleagues as well as the EU Delegation analyse the barrier. This includes for example the legal situation, the economic impact and the geographical scope.
- Classify it
The barrier is classified not only by its HS code but also by sector (e.g. aircraft) as well as by measure (e.g. labelling).
- Tackle the barrier
The EU has three main instruments to tackle trade barriers
- diplomatic actions
- dispute settlement
- EU Free Trade Agreements
To decide which one is the right way forward, the EU works together with Member States and industry associations in Brussels as well as in third countries around the globe in a structure we call the Market Access Partnership.
Interested in learning more about this Market Access Partnership? Read more.