Companies must be able to freely import, export and distribute their products in accordance with all applicable legislation at borders and on their markets.
International trade contracts and regulations
Standards and Product Quality
As well as controlling import duty and taxes, the customs administration, in connection with the DGCCRF (General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control), is responsible for consumer and environmental protection, commercial policy measures, enforcement of anti-dumping measures, and controls of cultural and agricultural goods. These increasingly complex regulations are on the increase.
The firm can assist you in drafting and auditing international transactions, contracts and general terms of sale (international sales, international framework sourcing and distribution agreements, EU and international general terms of sale, reviewing International Commercial Terms (INCOTERMS), international transport, etc.).
We can advise you in the following increasingly regulated areas:
- Product standards and product safety (compliance of products with European standards, health & safety standards, etc.).
- Marks of origin (“Made in”) controls and labelling.
- Forgeries.
- Dual-purpose goods.
- European anti-dumping and anti-subsidizing regulations.
- Tariff suspensions and quotas.
- Registration, evaluation and authorization of chemical substances – REACH; etc.
Customs optimization and consultancy
In a context of globalization and constantly increasing trade, customs management is an imperative both for SMEs and for big corporations. Controlling customs matters vis-à-vis trading partners and administrations is essential: companies that are the most reliable and efficient with regard to customs and logistics are now quality-certified by European, American, Japanese and other customs authorities.
The firm can assist and advise you and provide risk audits/optimizations in the following areas:
- Customs taxation: customs duty, import VAT, indirect contributions, energy taxes, TGAP (general tax on contaminating activities), etc.
- Dutiable value, origin (in particular: preparing the application for registration as an approved exporter), tariff classification (in particular: preparing the binding tariff regulation (RTC in French) application).
- Assistance in making customs arrangements (customs warehouse, inward and outward processing, particular destination, tariff suspension, etc.) and in obtaining Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status.
Customs controls and disputes
Customs controls and disputes are still in many respects not subject to common law. There are numerous particular procedures: civil and criminal, national and community. Furthermore, the recent change instigated by the European Council and Commission tends towards greater rationalization, coordination and effectiveness of customs controls.
The firm can assist and represent you for all types of customs controls and disputes.
Our spheres of intervention include:
- Handling controls (assistance during controls and during the “right to a hearing” phase, etc.).
- Assistance during litigation (objecting to notices of offences and collection, application for an adjournment of payment, assistance and representation for judiciary appraisal prior to trial, etc.).
- Assistance, defence and representation during civil proceedings (objecting to collection notice) and criminal proceedings (in the event of criminal prosecutions by the Administration).
- Assistance and representation before the Court of Justice of the European Union (preliminary rulings on interpretation and validity).
- Disputes about European anti-dumping and anti-subsidizing regulations.