Belgium and Sweden recently joined the EU’s CCI system. Global businesses seek alternatives outside the U.S. Trump's tariffs are increasing Halloween costs.

In today’s sub-chapter:

For years, traders have juggled multiple customs offices, separate declarations, and inconsistent procedures between countries. The EU’s new Centralised Clearance for Import (CCI) system is changing the game by allowing companies to file import declarations in one Member State, even when their goods enter through another.

CCI is rolling out in two phases. Phase 1 covers standard customs declarations and amendments, while Phase 2 expands to simplified and supplementary declarations, as well as registration in the declarant’s records.

The system entered its first phase in July 2024 with eight Member States: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, and Spain. Croatia and Italy joined later that year, while Belgium and Sweden came on board on October 15, 2025. By mid-2025, seven participating countries had already rolled out Phase 2.

CCI means fewer customs procedures, faster clearance, lower administrative costs, and stronger competitiveness. But it isn’t plug-and-play. Companies will need to adapt. Most will have to update their customs software, train staff to use new digital systems, and review internal processes to match EU-wide requirements.

Some gaps also remain. The biggest is VAT harmonization. Different tax rules between Member States make it harder to achieve full efficiency, and trade groups are urging the EU to fix that under its next round of customs reforms.

Even so, the direction is clear. CCI is becoming the backbone of a more connected European market. For businesses trading across borders, it’s time to update systems, train your teams, and rethink compliance, as Europe transitions to Customs 2.0.

Dun & Bradstreet’s latest Global Business Optimism Index report shows a 6.5% drop in Q3 2025, down nearly 20% since January. Companies see what’s happening. Tariffs are climbing, costs are rising, and consumer demand is slowing.

From 10,000 surveyed companies:

But businesses aren’t waiting to find out. Over half outside the U.S. are exploring other markets:

Does this mean that companies are losing confidence in the U.S. market? Are Trump’s tariffs finally showing their full impact? And will markets like Europe, with new systems such as the CCI, become a more predictable and favorable destination for global trade?

P.S. For those exploring trade opportunities in Europe, Customs Support Group is worth checking out.

🇺🇸 U.S. Imposes Section 232 Tariffs on Trucks, Parts, and Buses. Effective Nov. 1, 2025, the U.S. imposes 25% tariffs on heavy- and medium-duty trucks and parts and 10% on buses. Canada and Mexico imports may receive USMCA relief, with U.S.-assembled trucks receiving a 3.75% offset. Canadian/Mexican metals face 25%, while foreign truck parts from Japan and Europe are subject to a 15% rate.

🇺🇸🇦🇺 Trump, Australia's Albanese sign $1B Critical Minerals Agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a critical minerals agreement, with each country committing $1 billion over six months to mining and processing projects and setting a minimum price floor for critical minerals. The U.S. Export-Import Bank also announced over $2.2 billion in letters of interest to support related projects in Australia.

🛑 Trump Lists Top Demands on China Before Trade Talks Resume. President Trump demanded China lift controls on rare earths, stop fentanyl exports, and resume soybean purchases before trade talks in Malaysia. He threatened a 100% tariff starting Nov. 1, but also told Fox News the tariff “is not sustainable,” though “it could stand.”

🤝 Seoul, Washington Near Trade Deal Ahead of APEC Summit. South Korea expects to finalize a trade deal with the U.S. before the APEC summit in Gyeongju. Advisor Kim Yong-beom said most issues are settled, with only a few remaining. The deal involves cutting U.S. import tariffs to 15% in exchange for Seoul’s $350 billion investment commitment.

President Trump is planning to help Argentina’s struggling economy by buying their beef, while aiming to lower high meat prices here in the U.S. But it’s raising eyebrows among U.S. ranchers and lawmakers.

Industry groups and lawmakers are seeking clarity on how safety and inspection standards will be handled, and how this could affect domestic cattle producers. Ranchers worry Argentine imports could hurt their businesses. Safety concerns also loom, given Argentina’s history with livestock diseases.

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins promises imports will be limited and reassures efforts to boost domestic cattle production. Yet, it’s uncertain. How much beef would actually enter the U.S. market? Will it affect domestic supply chains, existing contacts, or pricing for U.S. producers? What impact could it have on import regulations and trade compliance for businesses handling beef and related products?

Lori Ann LaRocco, a must-follow voice on LinkedIn, shared in a recent CNBC article that importing beef is not the solution to domestic supply risks. She explains that dwindling herds, drought, and the return of screwworm are the real threats and stressed the need for stronger biosecurity and support for ranchers to sustain production. 

In September, the container ship Istanbul Bridge left China’s Ningbo port carrying 25,000 tonnes of cargo, including lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products. It arrived in the U.K. in just 20 days via the Northern Sea Route, half the time of traditional southern sea routes.

The route offers a glimpse of faster, more efficient shipping, but at what cost? The Arctic is no easy shortcut: freezing temperatures, shifting ice, and dense fog make each voyage unpredictable. Russia and China are planning to invest in nuclear icebreakers, logistics technology, and coordinated projects to make the route viable. But is it all worth it?

Could this new corridor reshape global trade, or is it a disaster waiting to happen?

Halloween 2025 could be scarier for Americans, not because of ghosts, but due to rising costs from Trump’s tariffs. 

The National Retail Federation reports that consumers will spend a record $114.45 per person this Halloween, nearly $11 more than last year. Despite this, 73% of Americans plan to celebrate: a reason to keep your stocks ready.

But how do you keep tariffs from making Halloween a nightmare? Featured by The Economic Times, a family-owned costume shop, Chicago Costume ordered 40% fewer costumes this year due to Trump’s tariff on Chinese products. They repurpose unsold items, choose suppliers who don’t add fees, cut promotions and discounts, and raised prices on children’s costumes and larger sets by at least 25%.

So maybe you have some old wigs or props lying around that you can repurpose to avoid the Halloween scare.

Netflix is hiring a Manager, Trade Compliance in Los Angeles or Los Gatos to oversee export controls, AI-related regulations, and customs operations. Requires 10+ years’ experience in legal trade compliance, expertise with EAR, BIS licensing, and OFAC, plus strong program management skills.

Salary range: $130K–$380K

Comes with many benefits (Health Plans, Mental Health support, a 401(k) Retirement Plan, Stock Option Program, etc.). And who knows, you might even receive unlimited free Netflix streaming.