**Executive Summary:**
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/310, issued on March 1, 2018, establishes the import duties applicable in the cereals sector from March 2, 2018. It fixes these duties based on information in its Annexes, in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 642/2010. The regulation remains in effect until new import duties are fixed and implemented.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Import Duty Calculation:**
* Import duties for specific cereals (CN codes listed in the document) are generally calculated as the intervention price plus 55%, minus the CIF import price, but cannot exceed the Common Customs Tariff rate.
* Representative CIF import prices are established regularly for calculating import duties.
* The daily CIF representative import price determines the import duty.
* **Specific Country Regulations:**
* Import duties for products originating in Canada and covered by specific CN codes are calculated according to Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 642/2010.
* **Implementation & Validity:**
* The import duties in the cereals sector are fixed in Annex I, based on Annex II, and are applicable from March 2, 2018.
* The regulation came into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
* **Duty Reductions:**
* Importers may benefit from duty reductions based on the port of unloading location (Mediterranean Sea/Black Sea or specific European countries) for goods arriving via the Atlantic Ocean or Suez Canal, as per Article 24 of Regulation EU No 642/2010.
* A flat-rate reduction of EUR 24/tonne may be available for maize where the conditions of Article 3 of Regulation EU No 642/2010 are met.
**Impact Analysis:**
**Importers:**
* *Impact:* Determines the import duties applicable to specific cereals, affecting the cost of importing these goods into the EU. They may also be eligible for duty reductions based on specific criteria.
* *Action Required:* Must apply the import duties fixed in Annex I from March 2, 2018, and check eligibility for duty reductions based on port of unloading or other applicable conditions (e.g. Article 3 of Regulation EU No 642/2010 for maize).
**European Commission:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for setting and implementing import duties in the cereals sector.
* *Action Required:* Ensure the regulation is applied and enforced across all Member States.
**Member States:**
* *Impact:* Directly applicable in all Member States.
* *Action Required:* Implement and enforce the regulation within their jurisdictions.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
European Commission: An institution of the European Union, responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the EU.
Regulation EU No 1308/2013: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products.
Commission Regulation EU No 642/2010: Commission Regulation on rules of application cereal sector import duties for Council Regulation EC No 1234/2007
Canada: A country in North America, mentioned in the context of import duties on specific products.
Brussels: The capital of Belgium and a major center of European politics, where the regulation was adopted.
Gulf of Mexico: A maritime region mentioned in the context of freight costs for imported goods.
Rotterdam: A port city in the Netherlands, used as a destination point for freight cost calculations.
2.3.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 60/19
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2018/310
of 1 March 2018
fixing the import duties in the cereals sector applicable from 2 March 2018
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013
establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC)
No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (1), and in particular Article 183 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Article 1(1) of Commission Regulation (EU) No 642/2010 (2) states that the import duty on products covered by
CN codes 1001 11 00, 1001 19 00, ex 1001 91 20 (common wheat seed), ex 1001 99 00 (high quality
common wheat other than for sowing), 1002 10 00, 1002 90 00, 1005 10 90, 1005 90 00, 1007 10 90 and
1007 90 00 is to be equal to the intervention price valid for such products on importation, increased by 55 %,
minus the CIF import price applicable to the consignment in question. However, that duty may not exceed the
rate of duty in the Common Customs Tariff.
(2) Article 1(2) of Regulation (EU) No 642/2010 lays down that, for the purposes of calculating the import duty
referred to in paragraph 1 of that Article, representative CIF import prices are to be established on a regular basis
for the products referred to in that paragraph.
(3) Under Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 642/2010, the import price to be used for the calculation of the
import duty on products referred to in Article 1(1) of that Regulation is the daily CIF representative import price
determined as specified in Article 5 of that Regulation.
(4) From 21 September 2017 the import duty on products originating in Canada covered by CN codes 1001 11 00,
1001 19 00, ex 1001 99 00 (high quality common wheat other than for sowing), 1002 10 00 and 1002 90 00
is to be calculated in accordance with Article 2(5) of Regulation (EU) No 642/2010.
(5) Import duties should be fixed for the period from 2 March 2018 and should apply until new import duties are
fixed and enter into force.
(6) Under Article 2(2) of Regulation (EU) No 642/2010, this Regulation should enter into force on the day of its
publication,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
From 2 March 2018, the import duties in the cereals sector referred to in Article 1(1) of Regulation (EU) No 642/2010
shall be those fixed in Annex I to this Regulation on the basis of the information contained in Annex II.
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
(1) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.
(2) Commission Regulation (EU) No 642/2010 of 20 July 2010 on rules of application (cereal sector import duties) for Council Regulation
(EC) No 1234/2007 (OJ L 187, 21.7.2010, p. 5).L 60/20 EN Official Journal of the European Union 2.3.2018
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 1 March 2018.
For the Commission,
On behalf of the President,
Jerzy PLEWA
Director-General
Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development2.3.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 60/21
ANNEX I
Import duties on the products referred to in Article 1(1) of Regulation (EU) No 642/2010 applicable from 2 March 2018
Import duties(1)(2)
CN code Description
(EUR/tonne)
1001 11 00 Durum wheat seed 0,00
1001 19 00 High quality durum wheat, other than for sowing 0,00
Medium quality, other than for sowing 0,00
Low quality, other than for sowing 0,00
ex 1001 91 20 Common wheat seed 0,00
ex 1001 99 00 High quality common wheat, other than for sowing 0,00
1002 10 00 Rye seed 0,56
1002 90 00 Rye, other than for sowing 0,56
1005 10 90 Maize seed, other than hybrid 0,56
1005 90 00 Maize, other than for sowing(3) 0,56
1007 10 90 Grain sorghum, other than hybrids for sowing 0,56
1007 90 00 Grain sorghum, other than for sowing 0,56
(1) The importer may benefit, under Article 2(4) of Regulation (EU) No 642/2010, from a reduction in the duty of:
— EUR 3/tonne, where the port of unloading is located on the Mediterranean Sea (beyond the Strait of Gibraltar) or on the Black
Sea, for goods arriving in the Union via the Atlantic Ocean or the Suez Canal,
— EUR 2/tonne, where the port of unloading is located in Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, Sweden,
the United Kingdom or on the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, for goods arriving in the Union via the Atlantic Ocean.
(2) For products originating in Canada covered by CN codes 1001 11 00, 1001 19 00, ex 1001 99 00 (high quality common wheat
other than for sowing), 1002 10 00 and 1002 90 00, the duty is calculated in accordance with Article 2(5) of Regulation (EU)
No 642/2010.
(3) The importer may benefit from a flat-rate reduction of EUR 24/tonne where the conditions laid down in Article 3 of Regulation
(EU) No 642/2010 are met.L 60/22 EN Official Journal of the European Union 2.3.2018
ANNEX II
FACTORS FOR CALCULATING THE DUTIES LAID DOWN IN ANNEX I
1. Averages over the reference period referred to in Article 2(2) of Regulation (EU) No 642/2010:
(EUR/tonne)
Common wheat(1) Maize
Exchange Minneapolis Chicago
Quotation 193,300 117,450
Gulf of Mexico premium 84,902 21,549
Great Lakes premium — —
(1) Premium of EUR 14/t incorporated (Article 5(3) of Regulation (EU) No 642/2010).
2. Averages over the reference period referred to in Article 2(2) of Regulation (EU) No 642/2010:
Freight costs: Gulf of Mexico-Rotterdam: 17,471 EUR/tonne
Freight costs: Great Lakes-Rotterdam: — EUR/tonne