Applications for preferential import tariffs based on the EC/Israel preferential trade agreement

Dear HM Revenue & Customs,

Please could you forward this to a colleague dealing with Freedom
of Information requests.

Given the preferential trade terms existing between the UK and
Israel (henceforth the 'EC/Israel preferential trade agreement')
and also given HMRC’s concerns over the accurate labeling of ‘place
of origin’ on some Israeli goods (see HMRC statement at
http://bit.ly/dLRgfm - accessed 18.02.11), could you please give me
information on the following:

1. Details of successful applications over the past five years for
import from Israel into the UK under the terms of the EC/Israel
preferential trade agreement, including:
• The date of application and granting of the preferential import
tariff
• the name of the importing and exporting companies relating to
each application
• the place of production of the goods as stated in the application

2. Where the place of origin of the goods was found to be a
Settlement and thus denied preferential import status (as described
in the HMRC statement above), could you please provide me with a
list of such unsuccessful applications over the past five years for
import into the UK under the terms of the EC/Israel preferential
trade agreement, including:
• The date of application for the preferential import tariff and
the date these were declined
• the name of the importing and exporting companies relating to
each application
• the place of production of the goods as stated in the application
(and where this was the subject of dispute, details of HMRC’s
findings with regard to the determined place of production of the
goods)

3. Could you also please provide me with details of any other
unsuccessful applications in the last 5 years (where the place of
origin was not the reason for the refusal of the application)?

4. Finally, could you give me details of any occasions in the last
5 years on which HMRC, in relation to such claims, has coordinated
with the Israeli exporting authorities to resolve any factual
disputes regarding place of origin issues or taken disputes to a
bilateral Customs Cooperation Committee (CCC)?

Many thanks for your assistance with this enquiry, all information
is gratefully received.

Yours faithfully,

Luke Massey