Transport industry urges Whitehall to extend Brexit transition period
© Donkeyworx By Alex Lennane 26/03/2020 The UK’s forwarding and logistics sector is pleading with the government to “put politics to one side” and extend the Brexit transition period, as it grapples with the impact of coronavirus. Stating that it would be “irresponsible” of the government to stick to its timetable for a 31 December deadline,…
ICS welcomes extension of EU exemption for container vessel sharing agreements
Lee Hong Liang | Mar 25, 2020 The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has welcomed an extension of the EU Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (BER) for liner shipping until at least April 2024. The European Commission (EC) published the regulation confirming the extension on Tuesday in recognising the importance and benefits of vessel sharing agreements throughout…
ICS, IAPH in joint call for G20 to support maritime sector and global supply chains
Lee Hong Liang | Mar 24, 2020 The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) have jointly called on G20 leaders to support the maritime sector and global supply chains from the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). In an open letter to G20 leaders, the two organisations urged the…
China raises export tax rebate on products to boost virus-hit trade
CHINA will increase export tax rebates on almost 1,500 products from March 20, the finance ministry said as the government looks to ease the pressure on companies hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, reported Reuters. The Ministry of Finance said 1,084 products, including porcelain sanitary ware, would have the rebate raised to 13 per cent, while…
EU and UK far apart in trade talks as virus scare disrupts negotiations
BRITAIN and the European Union are far apart on key issues they need to resolve if they are to strike a trade agreement by the year-end, reports Bloomberg. If they don’t strike a deal by the end of the year, the UK will revert to World Trade Organisation terms, which would mean the return of tariffs…
President Trump clarifies EU travel ban does not include trade
Marcus Hand | Mar 12, 2020 US President Donald Trump has clarified that a 30-day travel ban from Europe to the US to combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) does not include trade as the original address implied. Announcing a 30-day ban on most foreign nationals coming from 28 European countries from Friday. The ban…
British PM threatens to walk, giving EU four months to make a Brexit deal
BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson has informed the European Union (EU) he’ll walk away from the negotiating table in June if it’s not clear he’s going to get a Canada-style free trade agreement for the UK. The recently published UK’s negotiating mandate for the next stage of Brexit was in many areas close to…
EU trade chief warns virus may delay China trade deal beyond fall
EUROPEAN Union Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan told the international trade committee of the European Parliament on that a planned March meeting with Chinese officials would now probably not happen, reports Aljazeera. A planned European Union-China investment agreement looks unlikely to be struck by September as planned because of the coronavirus outbreak, said Mr Hogan. The…
EU irked UK won't impose barriers between Britain and Northern Ireland
THE lame duck Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, who stays on briefly as caretaker PM, having lost a recent national election, is accusing the British government of “back sliding” by not imposing customs checks on goods going between Britain and the British province of Northern Ireland. Mr Varadkar said “there can…
Anger from objectors as liner shipping block exemption extension is ‘nodded through'
© Joris484 By Mike Wackett 11/02/2020 A forum of shippers, freight forwarders and port service providers have slammed the high-handedness of the EC for including an extension of the consortia block exemption regulation (BER) for liner shipping in its 2020 work programme to the European parliament. The “done deal” for a four-year BER extension was included…
Shippers, freight forwarders and port service providers strongly object to the inclusion of the prolongation of the CBER in the Commission's Work Programme
Brussels, February 10th, 2020 Associations representing shippers, freight forwarders and port service providers object to the inclusion in the Commission’s 2020 Work Programme of the decision of the Commission to extend the Consortia Block Exemption for another four years with the justification that it “will continue to simplify the analysis of consortia’s compliance with competition rules, limit the…