"Access2Markets" – the brand new trading portal has been launched by the European Commission

10. November

Mid-October 2020, the European Commission officially launched the new online portal – “Access2Markets” available for EU companies. The portal is free of charge and provides relevant information about import and export of goods to/from the EU.

The main purpose of the portal is to give detailed information about:

  • Tariffs
  • National or local taxes, e.g. VAT, excise duties etc.
  • Rules of origin (EU trade agreements with non-EU countries)
  • Product requirements (general safety rules and specific rules, which apply to certain categories of the product, such as cosmetics and pharmaceutical products
  • Customs procedures
  • Trade barriers (which refer to any regulation or policy that restricts international trade, especially tariffs, quotas, licenses etc.)
  • Trade statistics providing an overview of the quantity exported goods to non-EU countries.

Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said by launching Access2Markets:

“We need to help our companies, in particular the SMEs, to derive maximum benefit from our trade agreements. This is why we have created this new portal to help smaller companies navigate the world of international trade.”

How to use Access2Markets?

The portal is available in 24 EU European languages including Danish, and it is optimized for use by smartphones and tablets. It comprises all necessary import/export information covering more than 120 non-EU countries at the moment. Moreover, the portal explains trade agreements and helps EU companies determine whether their products are eligible for duty discounts.

The tool is very intuitive. All you need to do is enter the following information into ”My assistant”:

  • Product name or HS code
  • Country of origin (exporting country)
  • Country of destination (importing country)

Then you will find all the necessary information about the goods in question, e.g. for pricing, budgeting, business planning and so on.

Brexit

Furthermore, the new portal holds relevant and useful information about goods imported/exported goods from/to the UK. This could be very useful after the 1st of January 2021, when the transition period ends for the UK.

Do you have any questions concerning Access2Markets?

Our specialists are ready to help you

At IntraVAT we are experts within cross border supply of goods, as well as within EU, but also concerning import and export of goods from/to third countries. Please feel free to contact us if any assistance is needed.