EU business alarmed at protectionism

BusinessEurope's watch-list

“Beggar-your-neighbour” policies: 

• China: Changes to VAT rebate system to promote exports, restrictions on raw material exports; cancellation of export license requirement.
• Indonesia: Cut in value-added tax.

Risk of regulatory divergence:

• US:  Proposal to restrict procurement in stimulus package;
• Mexico: Proposed ban on normal plastic packaging. 

Protectionist measures:

• Ukraine: import tariff increases on cars and other non-essential goods;
• Russia: import tariff increases on cars and steel goods, cuts in poultry and pork import quotas, increase in import duties for sugar, milk and butter;
• India: increase in steel tariffs, import restrictions on some steel products, 20% import duty on soybean oils, restrictive import licensing requirements, reinstatement of a 5% import duty
• Brazil: Mercosur agreement to increase external tariff on wine, leather, dairy products, leather goods, wood furniture, peaches and textiles, restrictive online import licence system;
• Indonesia: New restrictions on over 500 goods, restrictions on entry points for certain goods.
• Ecuador: Tariff increases on 940 products.
• Argentina: Restrictive licensing requirements for sensitive products.
• South Korea: Increase in tariffs on imports of crude oil.
• Kazakhstan: Arbitrary customs valuation, complex customs arrangements, national quota for foreign labour halved.
• Azerbaijan: Delays in customs clearance procedures.
• Uzbekistan: Limitation on imports of consumer goods by restricted access to foreign exchange.
• Libya: Introduction of consumption tax.
• Colombia, Peru, Venezuela: High tariff barriers.
• Turkey: Increase in duties of 15% on imports from third countries not part of free trade agreement with Turkey.