Market Reports/Tariffs
Textiles, Apparel, Footwear and Travel Goods
European Union
/ Documentation/Procedures
/ Restrictions
/ Standards
/ Labeling
/ Intellectual Property Rights
/ Market Information
Last updated on 06/10/2014
**The following information is provided only as a guide and should be confirmed with the proper authorities before embarking on any export activities.**
Import Tariffs - European Union
Members of the European Union apply the EU common external tariff (CET) to goods imported from non-EU countries. Import duties are calculated on an ad valorem basis, i.e., expressed as a percentage of the c.i.f. (cost, insurance and freight) value of the imported goods.
EU: Tariffs (percent ad valorem) on Textiles, Apparel, Footwear and Travel Goods
/ HS Chapter/Subheading / Tariff Rate Range (%)
Yarn
-silk / 5003-5006 / 0 - 5*
-wool / 5105-5110 / 2 - 5
-cotton / 5204-5207 / 4 - 5*
-other vegetable fiber / 5306-5308 / 0 - 5
-man-made fiber / 5401-5406/5501-5511 / 3.8 - 5*
......
Woven Fabric
-silk / 5007 / 3 - 7.5
-wool / 5111-5113 / 5.3 - 8
-cotton / 5208-5212 / 8
-other vegetable fiber / 5309-5311 / 4 - 8
-man-made fiber / 5407-5408/5512-5516 / 8*
...... / /
Knit Fabric / 60 / 6.5 - 8
...... / /
Non Woven Fabric / 5603 / 4.3*
...... / /
Industrial Fabric / 59 / 4 - 8*
...... / /
Apparel / 61-62 / 6.3 - 12
...... / /
Home Furnishings
including: bed, bath, kitchen linens, etc. / 63 / 0 - 12
...... / /
Carpet
Footwear
Travel Goods / 57
64
4202 / 3 - 8**
3 - 17
2.7 - 9.7
*Council Regulation 1344/2011 (replacing Council Regulation 1255/96) temporarily suspends import tariffs on certain products. See Council Regulation 1344/2011 for more details.
**5701.10.9000 - 8.00% MAX 2.80 EUR/M2
For more detailed tariff information, see the EU TARIC database on the EU TARIC homepage. (Use “Third country duty” under“ERGA OMNES”). The TARIC includes the various rules applying to specific products when imported into the EU's customs territory, as well as tariff suspensions, tariff quotas, preferential treatment, anti-dumping and countervailing duties, import prohibitions and restrictions, quantitative limits, export surveillance, licenses and certificates. Also see the Current Situation of Schedules of Members on the World Trade Organization website.
Tariff rates in north Cyprus tend to be higher than in the government-controlled area, depending on the product, and do not conform to the CET. Tariffs are applied based upon the origin of the goods and are divided into two categories. Goods from Turkey and EU Member States are charged lower rates than goods from all other countries (including the United States).
Binding Tariff Information (BTI)--The ultimate authority regarding products imported into the EU are the customs authorities in the Member States. Prior to signing a long-term contract or sending a shipment of considerable value, it may be prudent for U.S. exporters to first obtain an official ruling on the customs classification, duty rate, and taxes. On request, a written tariff classification decision (i.e., BTI) is provided, which is legally binding on all customs administrations within the EU. BTI is intended to provide assurance about the correct tariff classification of the goods, it is not a legal requirement. For more information on BTI and how to apply for one, see the European Binding Tariff Information website.
Taxes and Other Import Fees--VAT (value added tax) rates vary by individual EU member country. In general, the VAT charged on clothing, household linens and footwear are also the standard rates. Reduced rates may be applicable in certain member countries for children's clothing. The VAT is applied on the c.i.f. value plus duty. For more details, see the Europa-Taxation and Customs Union website. For a list of rates effective January 1, 2012, see VAT Rates Applied in the Member States of the European Union.
Samples/Temporary Entry--There are no tariffs imposed on goods intended for demonstration or exhibition at trade fairs. A refundable security deposit is required that is equal to applicable import duties. For temporary entry of samples it is usually advisable to purchase an ATA Carnet.
ATA Carnet--An ATA Carnet or "Merchandise Passport" is a document that facilitates the temporary importation of products into foreign countries by eliminating tariffs and other import taxes or charges normally required at the time of importation. For more information or to apply for an ATA Carnet, see the United States Council for International Business website.
For information on how to determine tariff rates, see the Export.gov webpage on Tariffs and Import Fees.
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Import Documentation/Procedures (European Union)
All companies established outside of the EU are required to have an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number for customs clearances. An EORI number may be requested from the authorities of one EU member state and once it is received, it can be used for exports to any of the 28 EU member states. More information about the EORI number can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/eos/eori_home.jsp?Lang=en.Licenses--Textile and apparel products of U.S. origin do not need an import authorization for entry into the EU. Import authorizations are only necessary for products originating in countries subject to EU quotas. To determine if a license is required for a particular product, check the TARIC database.
The Système Intégré de Gestion de Licenses - SIGL is the Directorate General for Trade's integrated system for the management of licences for imports to the EU. The SIGL website provides information on quota levels for imports of textiles, apparel and applied in the European Community.
Certificates of Origin--Certificates of origin are no longer required for textile and apparel products imported into the EU from the United States. Although imports claiming preferential tariff treatment under the EU's preferential trade agreements may still require a certificate of origin.
The origin of a product is established according to EU rules. Articles 35 – 38 and Annexes 9 – 10 of the Community Customs Code outline ‘non-preferential origin’ rules for textiles. ‘Preferential origin rules’ relate to the EU’s preferential agreements (e.g. with the accession countries, the Mediterranean countries, the non-EU countries belonging to the European Economic Area, the 69 Lomé countries), or under the Generalized System of Preferences, GSP. For each of these, preferential trading agreements legislation exists defining origin of products. For more information see the European Union webpage on Rules of Origin.
Binding Origin Information (BOI)--BOI is a written origin decision for preferential and non-preferential goods, which is legally binding throughout the EU. A BOI decision is not required, although it can be particularly helpful where an origin rule is difficult to interpret or where the circumstances of manufacture of a product make application of a rule difficult. For more information, see the European Union webpage on Rules of Origin for more information.
For more information on local customs rules and regulations:
European Commission Taxation and Customs Union DG
Member States customs websites
For information on common export documents, such as transportation documents, export compliance documents, certificates of origin, certificates for shipments of specific goods, temporary shipment documents, and other export-related documents, see the Export.gov webpage on Common Export Documents.
For more information on import procedures and documentation requirements, see the Country Commercial Guides (CCG) in the U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library (enter your country of interest in the "country" field, and enter "Country Commercial Guide (CCG)" in the "Report Type" field. Some market research reports are available only to U.S. companies and U.S. students/researchers that are registered with Export.gov.
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Import Restrictions (European Union)
· CITES - Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species
· PROHI - Import Suspension
· RSTR - Import Restriction
AZO Dye Restrictions--EU directive 2002/61/EC and communication 2003/C 214/02 restrict the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances used in textile and leather products. The directives states that Azo dyes, which may release certain aromatic amines in detectable concentrations above 30 ppm in the finished articles or in the dyed parts, may not be used in textile and leather articles that may come into direct and prolonged contact with the human skin or oral cavity, such as:
· clothing, bedding, towels, hairpieces, wigs, hats, nappies and other sanitary items, sleeping bags,
· footwear, gloves, wristwatch straps, handbags, purses/wallets, briefcases, chair covers, purses worn round the neck,
· textile or leather toys and toys which include textile or leather garments,
· yarn and fabrics intended for use by the final consumer.
The following test method standards may be obtained for a fee from the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) website:
1. EN 14362-1:2003: Textiles - Methods for the determination of certain aromatic amines derived from azo colorants - Part 1: Detection of the use of certain azo colorants accessible without extraction
2. EN 14362-2:2003: Textiles - Methods for determination of certain aromatic amines derived from azo colorants - Part 2: Detection of the use of certain azo colorants accessible by extracting the fibers
Restrictions on certain finding and trimmings in apparel--According to EU regulations (Annex '28 CAS No 7440-0-20 EINECS No 2311114) nickel and its compounds may not be used in products intended to come in contact with the skin, such as rivet buttons, tighteners, rivets, zippers and metal marks, if the rate of nickel released from the parts of these products coming into direct and prolonged contact with the skin is greater than 0,5 ig/cm 2/week. Also, in those products listed above where they have a non-nickel coating unless such coating is sufficient to ensure that the rate of nickel release from those parts if such products coming into direct and prolonged contact with the skin will not exceed 0,5 ig/cm 2/week for a period of at least two years of normal use of the product. Apparel must conform to these requirements in order to enter the EU market.
Ban on Fur from Animals Caught in Leghold Traps--In 1991, the EU adopted a Regulation banning the use of leghold traps in the EU. The Regulation also requires a ban on imports of fur and fur products of certain species from countries that either do not ban leghold traps or do not conform their trapping practices to internationally agreed humane trapping standards. In December 1997, United States and the EU signed an agreement on humane trapping standards, which should permit continuing access of U.S.-sourced fur and fur-products to the European market.
U.S. Export Restrictions:
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the U.S. Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries, terrorists, and international narcotics traffickers and their agents in accordance with U.S. foreign policy and national security goals. The OFAC website includes summaries of sanctions programs for various countries and the “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons” (SDNs) list of entities and individuals with whom U.S. persons may not conduct business and whose property must be blocked if under the control of a U.S. person.
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in the U.S. Department of Commerce is responsible for implementing and enforcing the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which regulate the export and re-export of most commercial items. BIS maintains the Denied Persons List, which consists of individuals, and companies that have been denied export and re-export privileges by BIS, and the Entity List, which consists of foreign end users who pose an unacceptable risk of diverting U.S. exports and the technology they contain to alternate destinations for the development of weapons of mass destruction
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Standards - European Union
Products tested and certified in the United States to U.S. standards are likely to have to be retested and recertified to EU requirements as a result of the EU’s different approach to the protection of the health and safety of consumers and the environment. Where products are not regulated by specific EU technical legislation, they are always subject to the EU’s General Product Safety directive, as well as to possible additional national requirements. See the following link for more information on the directive, as well as a list of standards that may apply to certain textile products: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/european-standards/harmonised-standards/general-product-safety/index_en.htm.
Some EU directives are applied to all textile products, such as those regulations concerning labeling, textile names, methods of sampling and analysis, quantitative analyses of binary textile fiber mixtures. Others are linked to the specific use of textile product, such as regulations about flammability test methods--for examle, textiles for automobiles must meet flammability requirements other than those for textiles for ships.