On 23 October 2025, the European Commission adopted another set of sanctions against Russia and Belarus. The new package targets key sectors such as energy and finance, the military industrial base, special economic zones, as well as enablers and profiteers of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It is noticeable that the new measures increasingly target third country companies outside of Russia. The EU legislator is trying to further reduce the risk of circumvention of the restrictions by extending the scope of important restrictions.

After the expiry of the 30-day deadline triggered by the snapback mechanism against Iran, the UN and the EU immediately extended their sanctions significantly. This adds a further piece to the mosaic of international sanctions, which is often already perceived as complex by business operators.

BLOMSTEIN is becoming (even) more international: On 1 October 2025, we are expanding our European presence and will open an office in Brussels. With BLOMSTEIN already being strongly connected across Europe and globally, the new Brussels office marks the natural next step in our international footprint and strengthens our proximity to European institutions. 

Bereits seit Dezember 2020 gilt in China das neue chinesische Exportkontrollgesetz. Dieses wurde zum Dezember 2024 deutlich verschärft. Insbesondere für den Export von Dual-Use-Gütern gelten durch das Inkrafttreten der neuen Verordnung zur Ausfuhrkontrolle von Gütern mit doppeltem Verwendungszweck („Dual-Use-Verordnung-CH“) deutlich höhere Anforderungen. Diese machen sich in der Praxis vermehrt bemerkbar und stellen europäische Unternehmen vor neue Herausforderungen.

Im Folgenden berichten wir von unseren Erfahrungen mit dem neuen chinesischen Exportkontrollrecht, welche wir in verschiedenen Fällen unter Zusammenarbeit mit chinesischen Kollegen gemacht haben. Wir weisen jedoch daraufhin, dass wir nicht zum chinesischen Recht beraten. Unsere Ausführungen können daher nicht als Auslegungshilfe zum chinesischen Recht verstanden werden.

Am 14. August 2025 hat das Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE) einen Referentenentwurf zur Anpassung von Straftatbeständen und Sanktionen bei Verstößen gegen restriktive Maßnahmen der Europäischen Union veröffentlicht. Der Gesetzesentwurf novelliert insbesondere die außenwirtschaftsrechtlichen Straf- und Bußgeldtatbestände der §§ 18, 19 des Außenwirtschaftsgesetzes (AWG) sowie des § 82 der Außenwirtschaftsverordnung (AWV).

The European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have recently announced a new transatlantic trade initiative, labelled the United States-European Union framework on an agreement on reciprocal, fair and balanced trade, that aims inter alia to abolish tariffs on US industrial goods. While the agreement is currently only a political declaration without binding legal force, it represents a significant policy signal. Once implemented, it could reshape competition in the EU market not only for US companies, but also for exporters from third countries such as Brazil, India, Japan, South Africa, or South Korea.

BLOMSTEIN advised Opta Group LP, a portfolio company of Speyside Equity Advisors (Speyside), and a leading supplier of performance materials and solutions in the molten metal, infrastructure, and specialty chemical industries, on FDI and merger control aspects relating  the acquisition of the assets of the majority of the business operations of m-tec Group, a company previously operating in Wesel, Germany.

Tariffs of 30% on EU goods – this scenario could become reality in just a few days. Until then, diplomatic efforts for a transatlantic agreement (15% tariffs on all goods like the Japan deal?) continue. However, companies should not sit idly by and wait for foreign policy developments to unfold since customs law provides them with tools that can be used effectively, especially in uncertain times. These tools, the three pillars of customs compliance, include tariff classification, product origin and customs value. Understanding how these elements interact can help reduce cost risks and improve competitiveness in the US market.

On 18 July 2025, the Council of the European Union adopted its 18th package of sanctions against Russia and Belarus in response to Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, including continued attacks on civilian infrastructure and attempts to circumvent existing restrictions. Although initially delayed due to objections by Slovakia, the package was ultimately adopted following adjustments that addressed concerns over energy security and trade exposure.

Few corporate nightmares begin as subtly as an external investigation — a knock on the door, a ring of the bell — and within seconds, everything changes. Unannounced inspections are aimed at probing legal infringements. They are highly disruptive and expose companies to serious legal and reputational risks. While most companies are aware of the risk of dawn raids by competition authorities such as the European Commission (Commission) or the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO), they should also be prepared for inspections by other agencies, such as tax and customs authorities, OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office) or public prosecutors. Each authority operates under its own distinct legal framework and pursues a specific enforcement agenda, ranging from antitrust violations and breaches of customs, tax, or export control laws to criminal offences such as fraud or corruption. What all these investigations have in common: They typically come without a warning and demand an immediate, coordinated and legally sound response. This briefing provides a practical overview of what (not) to do during inspections – offering both general best practices and authority-specific guidelines.