Trade with Kosovo

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How you import from and export to Kosovo.

UK-Kosovo partnership, trade and co-operation agreement

The UK has signed a partnership, trade and co-operation agreement with Kosovo, which is in effect.

This guidance provides information on aspects of trade covered by the UK-Kosovo agreement. It is for UK businesses trading with Kosovo.

What the agreement includes

This partnership, trade and co-operation agreement includes provisions on:

• trade in goods (including provisions on preferential tariffs, tariff rate quotas, rules of origin and sanitary and phytosanitary measures)
• trade in services
• intellectual property, including geographical indications
• government procurement

Tariff rates on goods

Tariff rates for bilateral trade in goods between the UK and Kosovo continue to apply as set out in the agreement. However, in some cases, the non-preferential applied rates may, in fact, be lower because of changes in the UK’s Most Favoured Nation tariff schedule.

Tariff rate quotas

Tariff rate quotas in the agreement have been tailored specifically to the UK.

Rules of origin

Claiming preferential rates for your exports from the UK

Unless you are permitted to provide an origin declaration, you will need to fill in a certificate of origin to claim preferential treatment.

The UK continues to use the EUR1 and EUR-MED format for movement certificates with trade partners that have mutual FTAs with the EU, including Kosovo. These movement certificates are identical to those previously in use, but the place of origin on the certificate is now marked as the United Kingdom instead of the European Community. EUR1 and EUR-MED certificates of origin that have been updated to show the UK are now available from your usual provider, such as the chambers of commerce.

If you previously used the EUR1 form with a mutual EU trading partner, you can use the new EUR1 form that shows the UK as the place of origin. If you previously used the EUR-MED form with a mutual EU trading partner, you can use the new EUR-MED form that shows the UK as the place of origin.

Using EU materials and processing in your exports to Kosovo

You can use EU materials or processing in your exports to Kosovo. The UK and Kosovo must have fulfilled the necessary requirements set out in the Rules of Origin Protocol. You must also ensure the working or processing you do in the UK goes beyond the minimal operations listed in the agreement and that the other relevant conditions are met.

For example, you cannot simply package or label a product from the EU and export it to Kosovo as a good originating in the UK.

The ability to consider materials from, or processing carried out in, another country as originating when incorporated into your product is called cumulation.

Using materials and/or processing from other countries in your exports to Kosovo

If both the UK and Kosovo have an agreement with one of the other countries provided for in the Rules of Origin Protocol, you can continue using materials, and in some cases processing, from that country in your exports to Kosovo. You must ensure that the working or processing you do in the UK goes beyond the minimal operations listed in the agreement and the other relevant conditions are fulfilled.

Sending your goods to Kosovo through the EU and other countries

Goods transited through the EU – and any other country with whom cumulation is applicable – are not subject to the same restrictions as those in transit through other third countries.

For example, you can split a consignment in the EU when exporting goods to Kosovo, provided the goods comprising the consignment have not been entered into free circulation in the EU.

Transit through any other third country is possible provided your goods remain under customs surveillance and do not undergo operations other than unloading, reloading or any operation designed to preserve them in good condition.

Goods in transit and retrospective certificates of origin

If your goods were in transit when the EU-Kosovo partnership, trade and co-operation agreement ceased to apply to the UK, you can obtain a retrospective certificate of origin. This shows that the goods originated in the UK and are eligible for preferential terms if your goods arrived on, or within 12 months after the date the UK-Kosovo partnership, trade and co-operation agreement started to apply.

You can get retrospective certificates of origin from your usual provider.

Geographical indications

GIs protect the geographical names of food, drink and agricultural products.

Both the UK and Kosovo’s existing geographical indications ( GIs) remain covered by this agreement.

The following ‘transborder GIs’ that relate to the territory of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, are protected in this agreement:

• Irish Whisky/Irish Whiskey/Uisce Beatha Eireannach
• Irish Poteen/Irish Poitín
• Irish Cream

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