International trade, customs, and export controls advisory 

Excise duties are a complex layer of consumption taxes applied to products such as alcohol, tobacco, and energy, with additional national rules covering items like coffee and soft drinks in Belgium. PwC helps businesses navigate this intricate mix of EU directives and local legislation by providing strategic insight into how excise impacts their operations. From securing the right authorisations and licences to enabling duty suspension, we help to ensure compliance while identifying efficiencies. Our expertise also extends to sustainability and energy transition considerations, helping clients adapt to evolving tax frameworks, reduce risks, and align their operations with changing regulatory and sustainability demands.

As global trade becomes more regulated, businesses must quickly adapt to export controls, sanctions, and increasingly stringent sustainability obligations. PwC supports clients with a comprehensive approach to compliance, analysing product portfolios, assessing market restrictions, and screening business partners against sanctions requirements. Our expert teams also help identify risks linked to end use and provide practical training to strengthen internal processes. Additionally, we guide companies through new sustainability-driven controls and EU market access rules, ensuring products meet regulatory standards at the border. This integrated support enables businesses to reduce compliance risks, avoid disruptions, and maintain smooth international operations.

In today’s global trade environment, a well-structured compliance programme is key to balancing regulatory requirements with business growth. Our expert team supports clients to develop efficient trade governance frameworks that address customs, excise, and export control challenges. From optimising organisational design and implementing clear processes to preparing for AEO status, we ensure businesses are set up for success. We also integrate risk management and legal requirements into practical compliance programmes, supported by continuous learning initiatives. This approach helps companies to reduce risk, improve operational efficiency, and benefit from smoother interactions with customs authorities as well as potential financial savings.

As EU customs processes become increasingly digital, businesses must adapt to new systems and data-driven requirements. We support clients through their trade automation journey by building strong technological foundations and integrating compliance into core operations. Our expert team assists with enterprise resource planning (ERP) transformations, implement comprehensive trade management solutions, and ensure alignment with systems such as EMCS, NCTS, and PLDA. By combining technical expertise with regulatory knowledge, we help organisations gain real-time visibility into their trade data for better decision making, fewer compliance risks, and more opportunities for efficiency gains and cost optimisation.