Trade Legislation
Laws governing international trade, customs procedures, trade agreements, and commercial relations.
Government enacted miscellaneous amendments to existing customs regulations concerning bulk declarations, carnet usage, import duty interest calculation, and approval conditions for storage facilities, effective June 30th, 2026.
These Regulations, made by HM Revenue and Customs and the Treasury, introduce several amendments to existing UK customs legislation enacted following the EU exit, primarily concerning bulk Customs declarations, the acceptance of both paper and electronic customs carnets, the calculation of interest on late import duty liabilities, and providing HMRC with powers to require necessary examination or storage functions to be conducted at approved 'off-site facilities'.
The rules come into force on June 30th, 2026, with specific provisions taking effect retrospectively or immediately upon that date.
Updated the list of UK airports authorized for international customs and excise purposes and removed five airports from that list.
This Order designates specific aerodromes in the United Kingdom as authorized locations for the landing or departure of aircraft for customs and excise purposes.
It applies to airport operators and aircraft commanders, mandating that international flights subject to customs controls use only the listed facilities.
By revoking the 2021 Order, it removes Coventry, Doncaster, Filton, Manston, and Plymouth airports from the list of designated customs and excise aerodromes.
The European Communities (Immunities and Privileges of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization and North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission) (Revocation) Regulations 2026
The regulations revoked prior statutory instruments granting immunities and privileges to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization and the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, effective March 31, 2027.
These Regulations formally revoke older statutory instruments from 1985, 1999, and 2001 that conferred specific immunities and privileges upon the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization and the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission under previous European Communities law, exercising powers granted by the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023, with the revocation taking effect on March 31, 2027, to allow time for successor legislation to be enacted to maintain continuity.
Lowered the minimum age for train driving licences to 18 in Great Britain while maintaining a 20-year age limit for the Channel Tunnel zone.
These Regulations lower the minimum age for obtaining a train driving licence in Great Britain from 20 to 18 years.
While permitting younger drivers on the general rail network, the instrument prohibits anyone under 20 from driving within the British Channel Tunnel zone, which includes the tunnel itself and specific lines to Ashford International and Dollands Moor.
These rules apply to the Office of Rail and Road as the licensing authority, as well as railway undertakings and infrastructure managers who are prohibited from deploying underage drivers in the specified tunnel zone.
Removed the 'linked travel arrangement' category from consumer law and established a 14-day statutory refund right for travel organisers against third-party providers.
These Regulations amend the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 to abolish the legal category of 'Linked Travel Arrangements' and expand the definition of 'package' to include services facilitated by a single trader during a single contact.
The instrument mandates that third-party service providers must refund travel organisers or retailers within 14 days of a cancellation or non-performance.
These changes apply to all package travel contracts and related travel services entered into across the United Kingdom on or after 6 April 2027.
The Nutrition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
The regulations permitted the use of the mineral substance, magnesium L-threonate monohydrate, as a source of magnesium in the manufacture of food supplements in England by amending Schedule 2 of the 2019 EU Exit Regulations.
The Nutrition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, made on April 20, 2026, and coming into force on August 12, 2026, amend Schedule 2 of the 2019 EU Exit Regulations to incorporate 'magnesium L-threonate monohydrate' into the list of approved mineral substances for manufacturing food supplements.
These regulations were enacted by the Secretary of State under powers related to exiting the European Union, apply to England for substance use, and extend to England and Wales for procedural purposes, following consultation compliant with EU food law principles.
The Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Amended the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 by revoking specific trade prohibitions, correcting definitions, and updating references to the Government of Syria.
The Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 primarily amend the 2019 Syria sanctions framework, which was established following the UK's exit from the EU, based on subsequent amendments made in light of the collapse of the former Bashar Al-Assad regime in December 2024.
These regulations revoke prohibitions on trade related to gold, precious metals, diamonds, and luxury goods, while making necessary technical corrections, such as re-inserting the definition of 'petroleum products' in Regulation 57 and updating terminology referring to the Syrian government.
The Electronic Commerce (Amendment and Consequential Provision) Regulations 2026
Revoked regulatory exemptions and legal protections previously granted to EEA-based online service providers under retained EU law.
These Regulations repeal provisions related to the Country of Origin Principle (CoOP) previously established under the EU e-Commerce Directive. They remove exemptions that protected European Economic Area (EEA) based information society service providers from certain UK market access regulations and restricted the prosecution of such providers for specific criminal offences, including those under the Terrorism Act 2006 and laws regarding extreme pornography.
The instrument applies to the Secretary of State and affects EEA-based digital service providers active in the UK market.