To date, almost three hundred commercial agreements for goods and services are in force around the world, of which about forty are signed by the EU which, in the context of relations with third countries, acts as a single entity. This complex network of agreements makes us understand the importance that customs issues can assume in international commercial exchanges. And why the The workshop jointly promoted by Assonime with the Customs and Monopolies Agency, carried out yesterday at Milano, at the Stelline Congress Center.
The concept of origin - it was underlined during the seminar - should not be confused with that of the origin of the goods, but rather expresses the connection with the place where the goods were produced, their nationality and, in this context, fundamental is the distinction between the non-preferential (or common) origin and the preferential origin of a commodity. In the first case, the rules of ordinary customs taxation and non-fiscal measures of commercial and economic policy are applied (for example, the application of anti-dumping duties). In the second, regulated by international commercial agreements, preferential tariff regimes are instead applied. It is not always easy for companies to navigate such a large number of agreements so that, often, lack of knowledge results in economic damage. Only 67% of EU exporters - it was remarked during the debate - use the benefits of the Free Trade Agreements with an estimated annual loss of around €60 billion.
“The customs component of the cost of the product – underlined Ivan Vacca, Assonime's Co-General Manager – can take on a very significant weight and the rules relating to the origin of the goods constitute an area of priority importance in business planning. Therefore not only recommendable, but necessary for companies to become aware of the importance of knowing the rules on the origin of the goods and of keeping up with their evolution, as in the case of negotiating new trade agreements. Only in this way will they be able to pursue the objective of maximizing the preferential customs treatments and other opportunities granted by international trade legislation, but also to eliminate or reduce any uncertainties in the application of the complex rules on the origin of goods, making appropriate use of the instrument of the Binding Information on Origin (BOI) valid for all EU member countries”.
"The Customs and Monopolies Agency - explained Cinzia Bricca, Deputy Director and Deputy Director of ADM - has undertaken, in line with the role of Customs established by European legislation, a reorganization process aimed at strengthening the security function of the EU borders and favoring the economic growth of Italy, facilitating the movement of goods in international exchanges. In this context, the impulse to disseminate, among economic operators, the benefits deriving from the possession of binding information regarding origin, which provides legal certainty in their relations with the Agency and with other commercial partners, is of particular importance. Knowledge of the rules of customs origin and the use of the VAT allow – he concluded – better company planning and consequent greater competitiveness on foreign markets”.
