Frequently asked questions
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My Trade Assistant for Services and Investment is the most recent expansion of Access2Markets. It offers free information to EU companies on the conditions they need to meet when exporting services to markets outside the EU.
You can find information on the requirements an EU company should fulfil in order to export services and access markets outside the EU, in three modes of supply, as well as information on the authorities responsible in third countries. The information is currently available for legal services and maritime services in Canada and in the UK as well as for accounting services in the UK. The services sectors and countries covered will be expanded gradually.
The information available on my Trade Assistant for Services and Investment is not legally binding.
The information available is updated once a year.
Services or intangible goods such as software are imported into the EU duty free. However, if software developed in the EU is incorporated into a good in a third country e.g. a car in Japan and that car is imported into the EU, the importer could avoid paying duties on the value of the EU software if he made use of the outward processing procedure. See more here.
The product which has been produced outside the EU on the basis of an engineering project or any kind of design (e.g. clothes designed in the EU but produced in a third country) developed in the EU, is not charged with a duty for the value of services rendered in the EU. This is upon condition that such a design, engineering or development project was necessary for the production of the product. The duty is charged on the basis of the customs value of the imported product, excluding the value of the service produced in the EU. If such services were rendered outside the EU, the customs value of the goods would have to include the value of those services (See article 71 (1) (b) (iv) of the Union Customs Code).
For further details on the calculation of the customs value in such cases, please contact your customs office or see the European Customs Valuation Compendium.
Normally, a product imported from third countries, irrespective of the origin of the components of such products, is charged with a duty as per EU Combined Nomenclature, unless such a product has been fully liberalized under a free trade agreement of the EU with the exporting country. However, the importer can avail himself of available customs procedures in the EU to avoid paying a duty on a component which is produced in the EU but processed in a third country.
The available procedure for the situation at hand is outward processing. This means that the company which has developed or purchased the software in the EU (owner of the software) needs to get an authorisation for outward processing before the software is installed in a car or part thereof. The company needs to address the competent customs authority located in the place where the software owner’s records and documentation enabling the customs authority to take a decision (main accounts for customs purposes) are kept (in one of the 27 Member States).
The details to be filled in the authorisation include the indication of the value of software (commercial value) which will then be deducted from the value of the imported car/car part upon importation. The value of the software will be its costs of production or its purchasing price. The duty will be charged on the difference in that value (the added value). Customs authorities will specify the period within which the outward processing procedure will be discharged, i.e. the time by which the importation of the final product should take place.
The EU importer has to make reference to the relevant authorisation for outward processing in the customs declaration for release for free circulation.
No, the use of the portal is free of charge. However, certain information is protected by copyright and hence can only be retrieved from within the European Union, Türkiye, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Serbia.
The information in this portal on tariffs, internal taxes and Procedures and Formalities of a non-EU country may not be used for resale or for the provision of consultancy services, redistribution, building of databases, storage, or for any purpose other than reference use in support of the user's own international business processes in the European Union.
All other use is prohibited unless explicitly approved in writing by the owner of the data (see list here).
This is most probably due to the fact that, even if you are located in a Member State of the European Union, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia or Türkiye, your internet connection goes through a proxy which is located in another than the above mentioned countries. In this technical configuration, we are not allowed to grant access to you.
This limitation is imposed upon us by the licensing contracts we have with our external contractors. Note that if you have the possibility of using another PC (for example your home PC) connected to a local Internet Service Provider (ISP), you should be able to access the information in both sections without any difficulties.
To receive support in that matter you may contact us.
This is the only situation in which the Commission is allowed to grant access by providing passwords. This possibility is open, for example, to embassies and economic/commercial missions.
To receive support in that matter you may contact us.
Please note that the data relating to non-EU countries are subject to strict conditions defined in the contract between the European Commission and its external data provider.
The information may not be used for resale (or in the provision of consultancy services), redistribution, building of databases, storage, or for any purpose other than reference use by a European Union user personally located within one of the Member States of the European Union, Türkiye, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Serbia in support of the user's own international business processes in the European Union.
All other use is prohibited unless explicitly approved in writing by the owner of the data.