EU Trade

Steptoe's Brussels legal team has more than 30 years' experience with European Union and international trade matters. We have a strong command of the formulation and application of EU trade policy and offer our clients effective advice and representation of their trade interests, concerning both the EU market and third country markets. Our key aims are to ensure fair market access and to ensure for our clients the application of EU trade policy and other measures consistent with EU law and the international trade rules of the WTO.

The Brussels trade team has substantial experience with EU trade remedies cases (antidumping, countervailing duty, and safeguard proceedings) and also concerning customs issues and the trade impact of legislative initiatives in other areas of EU regulatory competence, for example the trade impact of EU measures concerning:

Chemical substances
Product approvals and technical standards
Food safety rules
Environmental protection measures

Where trade obstacles arise in the form of EU Member State domestic regulatory measures, we work with the European Commission to obtain intra-EU "free movement" remedies, relating to the marketing of both goods and services. The types of services we provide on these trade and other market access matters include:

Representation in Brussels and on-site through all phases of EU trade remedies proceedings
Assessment, legal support, and strategy to influence EU trade proposals
Strategy and advocacy on EU customs classification/valuation, preferential regimes, and application of EU rules of origin
Advice and legal initiatives to challenge Member State and third-country laws hindering market access, through EU administrative procedures that can lead to potential WTO dispute settlement, and EU judicial proceedings
Appeal of EU trade regulations before the EU Courts
Advice and advocacy contesting WTO validity of EU trade and regulatory measures

Noteworthy

Chambers Global

Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Global Market Leaders (2008-2026)
Chambers Global, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, The Elite, US (2019-2026)
Chambers Global, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy, US (2020-2026)
Chambers Global, Disputes, International & Cross-Border Capabilities, US (2019-2026)
Chambers Global, International Trade: CFIUS Experts, US (2020-2026)
Chambers Global, International & Cross-Border Disputes (International Firms), China (2021-2024)
Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO (International Firms), China (2019-2026)
Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Asia-Pacific Region (2019-2026)
Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Europe-wide (2019-2024, 2026)
Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Europe/Belgium (2008-2017)

Chambers Asia-Pacific & Greater China Region

Chambers Greater China Region, Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption (International Firms) (2022)
Chambers Greater China Region, International Trade/WTO (International Firms) (2022, 2024)
Chambers Asia-Pacific, International Trade/WTO, Asia-Pacific Region (2009-2026)

Chambers Europe

Chambers Europe, International Trade/WTO, Europe/Belgium (2008-2025)

Chambers USA

Chambers USA, International Trade: CFIUS Experts, Nationwide (2017-2025)
Chambers USA, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, The Elite, Nationwide (2017-2025)
Chambers USA, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy, Nationwide (2017-2025)
Chambers USA, International Trade, Nationwide (2005-2016)
Chambers USA, International Arbitration: Enforcement, Nationwide (2022)

Legal 500

Legal 500 US, Government: Government Contracts (2024-2025)
Legal 500 US, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy (2023-2025)
Legal 500 US, International Trade: Customs, Export Controls, & Economic Sanctions (2023-2025)
Legal 500 US, International Trade and National Security – CFIUS (2023-2025)
Legal 500 US, Dispute Resolution: International Litigation (2025)
Legal 500 US, Dispute Resolution: International Trade (2007-2021, 2024)
Legal 500 UK, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration (2010-2025)
Legal 500 UK, Dispute Resolution: Public International Law (2010-2025)
Legal 500 EMEA, Customs, Trade, WTO & Anti-Dumping, Belgium (2011-2019, 2023-2024)

Law360

Law360, International Trade Group of the Year (2010-2013, 2015, 2019)

Global Arbitration Review

Global Arbitration Review, “International arbitration practice that impressed in the past year,” (2016)
Global Arbitration Review, GAR 100 (2017-2023)

Global Investigations Review

Global Investigations Review (GIR) 100, Top 30 Firms for Investigations Worldwide (2015-2024)

WorldECR

WorldECR, Sanctions Law Firm of the Year, USA (2018, 2021), Sanctions Highly Commended Law Firm, USA (2017);
WorldECR, Export Controls, Law Firm of the Year, USA (2015-2016), Highly Commended Law Firm, USA (2017), Runner-Up Law Firm of the Year, USA (2018)
WorldECR, Sanctions Law Firm of the Year Runner-Up, Rest of the World (2021)

Asia Legal Business

ALB China Awards, International Firm of the Year: International Trade (Award in 2021, Shortlisted in 2022-2024)
ALB China Awards, Regulatory Compliance Law Firm of the Year (Shortlisted 2022-2024)
ALB Hong Kong Awards, Regulation and Investigations Law Firm of the Year (Shortlisted 2020-2021, 2023)
ALB Japan Awards, Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year (Award in 2021, Shortlisted in 2023-2024)
ALB Korea Awards, Korea Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year (2022-2023)

China Business Law Journal

China Business Law Award, International Trade (2013-2025)
China Business Law Award, Corporate Compliance (2019-2025)
China Business Law Award, Government and public policy (2022)
China Business Law Award, Anti-Bribery & Compliance (2015, 2018)

China Law & Practice

China Law & Practice, International Firm of the Year: Dispute Resolution, Honorable Mention (2024)
China Law & Practice, International Firm of the Year: Trade Award (2016, 2018-2020, 2022); Shortlisted (2021)
China Law & Practice, Shortlisted, International Firm of the Year: Regulatory & Compliance (2018, 2021-2022)

Our team is one of the leading trade remedy practices in Brussels. We regularly act on behalf of exporters to the European Union, EU user industries, and importers affected by antidumping, subsidy, and safeguard proceedings. In this context, our lawyers offer strategic planning and lobbying in addition to legal representation throughout the course of the administrative proceedings. In many cases, we coordinate closely with the exporting country government authorities and/or EU Member States (in support of EU users' and importers' interests) with regard to representations and policy initiatives to be taken at the EU level in connection with the proceeding. In several highly visible cases, our strategic efforts have been successful in overcoming Commission proposals for definitive measures.

Our team has also vast experience representing clients in appeals proceedings before the General Court and the Court of Justice of the EU, and is responsible for several landmark cases, including XinYi PV (Case T586/14), annulling the rejection by the European Commission of the market economy treatment claimed by our Chinese client.

When our clients in the EU are affected by trade barriers in their export markets, we work closely with the European Commission to pursue representations to the third country government under the EU’s Trade Barriers Regulation (TBR) and, as necessary, to secure international remedies to these barriers. We have represented clients in a number of TBR proceedings which have led to effective regulatory amendments in the target foreign jurisdiction. In other cases, we have been called upon to act on behalf of business interests in the targeted foreign jurisdiction to help respond to EU TBR investigations.

We advise on the compatibility of EU and Member States’ regulations with the relevant international rules, especially those reflected in the WTO Agreements. Our WTO advice has covered most aspects of the negotiation and application of WTO rules, including the rules of the Anti-Dumping Agreement and Agreements on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Technical Barriers to Trade and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. At issue have been EU trade decisions and regulatory initiatives relating, for example, to the electronics, motor vehicles, and biotechnology product sectors. Steptoe has long been active in international dispute settlement of trade matters. Our lawyers have advised clients regarding some of the most significant international trade disputes handled by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body.

Other aspects of trade experience involve strategic advice to corporate clients and governments on aspects of international trade law and negotiation of bilateral trade arrangements (FTAs and other preferential trade) and multilateral agreements affecting trade relations. For example, we have advised a government in its negotiations for an FTA with the EU, concerning both the substantive issues covered by the FTA and the strategy.

We also advise corporate and third-country interests on EU cross-sectoral regulatory initiatives, such as concerning intellectual property rights, to ensure that the eventual EU legislation complies with TRIPS obligations, for example. See below for more on Steptoe’s WTO dispute settlement experience. With its long experience in Brussels, we also advise on draft EU regulations that may impact EU market access, whether the regulatory initiative is still in the draft stage (pre-Commission approval) or in the form of formal Commission proposals still needing to undergo Parliament and Council review and decision-taking. We are also often confronted with national legislative proposals of Member States, such as those notified under the EU’s stand-still rules or raised as urgent health or safety matters, that may contravene EU/international trade law and coordinate with the industry interests and relevant Commission services to ensure appropriate legal review and compliance. These issues have concerned, for example, biotech products, textiles/apparel and general consumer and electronic goods, chemicals, foods, and motor vehicles.

Professionals

Ana Amador

Ana Amador is an international trade and regulatory compliance lawyer dually based in New York and Brussels. She advises sovereign governments, multinational corporations, and industry groups on...

Associate

Antitrust/Competition, Economic Sanctions, Export Controls, EU Trade

New York
+1 212 378 7620

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Kevin Garvey

With nearly two decades of legal and policy experience in both government and private practice, Kevin Garvey has a broad international trade, national security, and white-collar defense practice. He...

Partner

Trade Policy & Negotiations, Trade Remedies, National Security & Cross-Border Transactions, Independent & Internal Investigations

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 6702

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Edward J. Krauland

Edward J. Krauland represents clients on matters involving US and multilateral economic sanctions, dual use, defense and nuclear export controls, anti-money laundering (AML) compliance, anti-boycott,...

Partner

Export Controls, Economic Sanctions, Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Corruption/FCPA

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 8083

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Yumiko Takahashi

Yumiko advises clients across a range of sectors on matters relating to competition law and EU regulatory issues. Her particular experience lies in dealing with antitrust issues, cartel investigations...

Associate, Steptoe International (UK) LLP

EU and UK Competition, Antitrust/Competition, Antitrust Investigations & Litigation, EU Trade