- The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that the “Change of Tariff Heading” rule for determining the non-preferential origin of goods imported into the EU is invalid.
- This case is significant because it clarifies the rules for determining the origin of goods and highlights the ECJ’s willingness to invalidate delegated legislation.
- Non-preferential rules of origin are used to determine the country of origin for products and apply to measures such as anti-dumping duties and trade embargoes.
- The ECJ found that the EC’s rule was contradictory and discriminatory, and that the EC had exceeded its powers in adopting it.
- This ruling suggests that the rules for determining origin may not be as legally binding as previously thought.
Source Baker & McKenzie