Until now, imports of products subject to trade defence measures have been registered on a case-by-case basis, mainly at the request of the industry. On Tuesday 24 September, the European Commission decided to make the registration of imports automatic, as soon as an investigation is opened.
This will make it possible to keep an eye on import volumes, even between the opening of an investigation and the imposition of tariffs. The Commission considers this measure necessary, in particular to avoid significant increases in imports just before measures are imposed.
Registering imports even before tariffs are adopted also allows them to be applied retroactively. In the case of the investigation into Chinese electric vehicles, for example, the Commission had made these products subject to registration as early as March 2024, although in the end it did not apply the tariffs retroactively.
The customs authorities in the Member States will be responsible for registration. The change applies to tariffs imposed from now on and to investigations in progress that have not yet reached the provisional conclusion stage. These will be the subject of implementing regulations to enforce the change. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)