
Arnoud R Willems
About
Provided by Arnoud R Willems
Practice Areas
International trade
Supply Chains
Trade & Customs Litigation
Data & Technology
Environment & Climate Change
Energy, Mining & Infrastructure
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Industrials. Manufacturing & Transportation
Career
Arnoud Willems is a partner in the International Commercial & Trade Practice Group in the Brussels office. He joined Baker McKenzie in 2022. He has an extensive network, built over 25 years as a trusted advisor of entrepreneurs, executives, and diplomats. Arnoud has a deep understanding of how trade rules shape global flows of capital, investment, goods, technology, and services.
Arnoud helps clients to navigate through complex rules and in their decision-making processes, manage their risks, become more successful and proactive in their long-term planning and strategy. He strives to make legal rules understandable for company decision makers, look for practical solutions, break new ground, close legal gaps, getting regulators to adapt or clarify rules in order to make them more useful, predictable, and uniform, and, where possible, create new rules.
Arnoud advises clients on all aspects of trade and customs procedures and methodologies, as well as on competitiveness, the application of WTO and other trade rules to the digital, technology, green, metals, chemicals, pharma, and energy sectors. This results in removing trade barriers, often unlocking new markets and profits, decreasing costs, decreasing risks, and improving compliance.
Arnoud helps clients to navigate through complex rules and in their decision-making processes, manage their risks, become more successful and proactive in their long-term planning and strategy. He strives to make legal rules understandable for company decision makers, look for practical solutions, break new ground, close legal gaps, getting regulators to adapt or clarify rules in order to make them more useful, predictable, and uniform, and, where possible, create new rules.
Professional Memberships
Asian Institute of International Financial Law (AIIFL) - Senior Fellow
Former President of the Rotary Club Tervuren (Brussels)
Various Universities; e.g. the University of Maastricht, the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Hong Kong University Law School - Guest lecturer
Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris
Commission on Trade and Investment Policy of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris
International Law Association
International Bar Association (Trade Committee)
Publications
Co-author, "Towards a strategic partnership – strengthening trade relations between the GCC and the EU", GPCA’s Insight Express, July 2022
Co-author, "The EU’s ‘Greened’ Injury Margin: a Closer Look at Law and Practice", International Trade Law and Regulation, Thomson Reuters and Contributors, July 2022
Co-author, "Inward Processing in EU Anti-Dumping Proceedings", Global Trade and Customs Journal, Volume 17, Issue 6 (Wolters Kluwer), May 2022
Co-author, "Helping Sustainable Trade: Ways to ‘Green’ the Harmonized System," Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS), January 2021
Co-author, "Hoe kan het dat douaneautoriteiten lijdzaam toekijken hoe de Commissie hun bevoegdheden opslorpt?", Weekblad Fiscaal Recht (WFR 2020/163), September 2020
Co-author, "Hurdles to Litigating Trade Defence Measures Before the EU Courts", Journal of World Trade, December 2020
Co-author, "The EU Report on Significant Distortions in Russia: A Return to the 1990s Non-market Economy Status for Russia?", Eurasian Metals, December 2020
Author, "Brave New World for EU Trade Defense Policy?", Borderlex, February 2020
Co-author, "Effect of and Compliance with Judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union: The Case of Trade Defence Measures", Global Trade and Customs Journal, February 2020
Co-author, "Defeating Economic Sanctions in the EU: A Strategic Analysis of Litigation Options", International Trade Law & Regulation, January 2020
Co-author, "Of Binding Provisions and Trust Marks; Roadmap to a Global Legal Framework for the Digital Economy", Legal Issues of Economic Integration, Kluwer Law International, June 2019
Co-author, "Accountability in Anti-Dumping — The Silent Death of Lisbon", Global Trade and Customs Journal, June 2019
Co-author, "Levelling EU-Turkey Trade: An Assessment of the Asymmetrical Customs Union between the European Union and Turkey", International Trade Law and Regulation, April 2019
Co-author, "The limits of FTAs in the Chemical Sector: Is a Sector Agreement the Solution?", Global Trade and Customs Journal, Kluwer Law International, April 2019
Co-author, "The Unhappy Marriage of Customs and Anti-Dumping Legislation: Tensions Relating to Product Description and Origin", Legal Issues of Economic Integration, Kluwer Law International, 2018
Co-author, "Determination of Customs Value and Warranties: Lessons from the Recent Case Law of the European Court of Justice", Global Trade and Customs Journal, Kluwer Law International, 2018
Co-author, "Unlocking overseas insurance markets", Insurance Day, Januar 2017
Author, "Can steel survive protectionism?," The Mining Journal, July 2016
Co-author, "Customs Sanctions Harmonization in Europe: Why the Commission Is Taking the Wrong Approach", Global Trade and Customs Journal, July 2016
Co-author, "What’s Wrong With EU Anti-Circumvention Rules and How to Fix it", Journal of International Economic Law, May 2016
Author, "Reconciling Rules of Origin and Global Value Chains: The Case for Reform," Journal of International Economic Law, May 2015
Co-author, "Changes in the Treatment of Trademark Royalties in EU Customs Law: The Example of 3D Printing", Global Trade and Customs Journal, Kluwer Law International, Volume 10, Issue 5, 2015
Author, "The EU 2030 Climate and Energy Framework – Does It Harm Russian Companies?," Eurasian Metals Bulletin, February 2015
Author, "OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Index - Unlocking the potential at last," Mlex Report, September 2014
Co-author, "Export Restrictions on Waste: Barrier to Trade or Tool for Harmonisation?", International Trade Law & Regulation, Volume 20, Issue 3, 2014
Co-author , "WTO rules to enforce energy transit and influence the transit fee," European Energy Journal, Volume 4, Issue 2, April 2014
Arnoud speaks widely on trade topics, especially concerning the impact of political and economic developments and changes in the law on industry: e.g. the trade wars, trade policy, EU-China relations, the EU's new trade tool box, the sense and non-sense to litigate, how to manage trade compliance in the supply chain, anti-dumping, subsidies, quota, climate change, economic sanctions, the WTO and other trade agreements.
Organisations that regularly ask Arnoud's contributions are CRU, Fastmarkets, Argus Media / Metal Pages, MM Steel Club, and various trade associations
Work Highlights
Advised a global nuclear energy company in connection with developing an anti-subsidy risk assessment incl. a compliance manual
Advised a global raw materials company with respect to setting up an anti-dumping compliance program, including assistance in monitoring potential dumping margins
Advised a Russian company with respect to avoiding electricity cost adjustments in the dumping calculation, significantly lowering its duty
Advised several multinationals in different EU Member States with respect to defending processing authorizations for goods subject to trade policy measures
Assisted several technology and metals companies with respect to the classification of their products, including through Binding Tariff Information (rulings)
Assisted a major automotive company with respect to a pan-EU valuation investigation
Acted for a major apparel importer to obtain significant duty refunds on a retroactive application of origin as laid down in the EU-Vietnam FTA
Defended a global technology producer accused of customs fraud to prove its position and avoid any duties and fines
Assisted a Fortune 100 technology company with respect to developing a policy to manage changes in the EU political landscape
Assisted an association with respect to using the WTO rules to avoid national legislation that would harm its members
Assisted a trade association with respect to improving the protection of the intellectual property of its members globally through the use of trade agreements incl. by finding best practices and a win-win solution for all stakeholders, navigating all political sensitivities
Advised a government body in connection with using trade agreements strategically to benefit the financial and services sectors, including how to shape digital rules, and which rules it should try to get into trade agreements
Assisted a global construction company in connection with reviewing its transactions with countries on the economic sanctions list
Assisted another global construction company in connection with setting up a global compliance and training program
Languages Spoken
Dutch
English
Awards
Client Choice Award
Lexology
2021
Client Choice Award
Lexology
2020
Best Lawyers in Belgium
Best Lawyers
Financial Time Innovative Lawyers
Financial Time
2017
Legal Hall of Fame
Legal 500
2018
Top EU lawyers for economic sanctions and export controls
WorldECR
2014
Education
University of Leiden
Law Degree
1992
Chambers Review
Europe
Arnoud Willems handles EU investigations for EU-based importers and foreign exporters from the firm's Brussels office, advising on compliance and anti-dumping matters. He is further experienced in customs law mandates at national court level and before the CJEU.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Arnoud is a very dedicated lawyer who both develops creative legal argumentations and works very accurately."
"Arnoud is a very dedicated lawyer who both develops creative legal argumentations and works very accurately."