Incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sept. 10 named Paul Hogan of Ireland the European Commissioner for trade for her 2019-24 term, a European Union press release said. Hogan, the current commissioner for agriculture, “is known as a hard and a fair negotiator,” von der Leyen said at a press conference introducing the new commission. The commission president-elect also named Paolo Gentiloni of Italy as commissioner for economy, where he will take over a portfolio that includes the EU Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union, according to a document on the EU website. The European Parliament must give its consent to the nominations, after holding a series of hearings within the relevant parliamentary committees, the EU press release said.

Britain's Export Control Joint Unit published a Sept. 6 guidance on export controls for military goods, software and technology, covering when exporters need a license, which items are controlled and more. The guidance also includes contact information for an ECJU helpline to call for questions about export licensing.

The United Kingdom Parliament recently enacted a law that aims to block a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31. Given royal assent by Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 9, the law requires that the U.K. prime minister request an extension from the European Union on Oct. 19 that delays Brexit until Jan. 31, 2020, unless the U.K. Parliament approves a Brexit transition deal or votes to leave the EU with no deal, a BBC report said. The transition deal negotiated by the previous U.K. government under Theresa May was rejected three times (see 1903290039). According to the BBC, it is possible that current Prime Minister Boris Johnson could attempt to ignore the letter of the law or its intent. Repealing the law at this point is unlikely given the makeup of the House of Commons, but that could change if there’s a general election before Oct. 19. U.K. opposition parties have so far rejected that idea, which would require a two-thirds vote in Parliament, said a report in The Guardian. The EU would also have to approve any extension, the BBC said.

A recent announcement of new funding for customs information technology and training grants for importers, exporters, brokers and forwarders in the United Kingdom may be too little and too late, said the British International Freight Association. Announced Sept. 3 (see 1909030069), the new round of £16 million may not lead to “thousands of more customs experts on hand to help businesses on and after Brexit day,” BIFA said. It could take up to a year to train new staff, even if there are enough trainers and courses for the new staff to attend, BIFA said. Less than 1,000 U.K. businesses applied for the first round of grants, out of more than 240,000 that currently trade with the EU, the trade group said. And worryingly, the funding may not be available until after Brexit day on Oct. 31, unless a company can get a training quote and submit an application within the next week, BIFA said. “That just adds to the enormous uncertainty and pressure that BIFA members, which are responsible for managing the movement of a large proportion of the UK’s visible international trade, have faced since the result of the Brexit referendum in June 2016,” BIFA said.

The United Kingdom’s HM Revenue & Customs is reopening the period for companies that file customs declarations to apply for grants for training and information technology improvements ahead of the U.K.’s withdrawal from the European Union, HMRC said in an updated guidance document. Grants are available for U.K.-based companies that either complete customs declarations (or do so on an importer’s behalf) or intend to once the U.K. is outside the EU. IT grants are available for small businesses that complete customs declarations for importers and exporters. “You can use the funding to reimburse what your business has spent on relevant IT improvements and training since 31 July 2019, as well as in the future,” HMRC said.

In the Sept. 3 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The European Union published a notice Sept. 3 announcing changes to its safeguards on steel products meant to avoid double counting for goods also subject to antidumping and countervailing duties. For any goods subject to the three-year tariff-rate quotas on steel that become subject to the 25 percent out-of-quota rate, no AD/CV duties will be collected if the applicable total of AD and CV duty rates does not exceed 25 percent. AD/CV duties will only be collected if they exceed 25 percent total, and by the amount at which they exceed 25 percent, the notice says.

A major European trade credit insurance company currently puts the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit at 40 percent, it said in an export risk report dated Aug. 28. Euler Hermes says the United Kingdom is likely headed for new elections after a no-confidence vote on current Prime Minister Boris Johnson. That could potentially lead to a second referendum on Brexit, and would favor an approval of another extension of Article 50 by the European Union, “probably until Q3 2020,” Euler Hermes said in the weekly report. “However, we continue to give a 40% probability to a no-deal scenario.”

In the Aug. 29 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The United Kingdom's Department for International Trade on Aug 27 updated its collection of exporting country guides for U.K. exporters. The guides contain information on exporting to Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania.