José Rijo
Of Counsel • Oporto
José Rijo is a Senior Of Counsel and has been with Abreu Advogados since 2026, focusing on the areas of Customs Law and International Trade.
His professional practice focuses primarily on the areas of Customs Law and International Trade, Indirect Taxation (including customs VAT and Excise Taxes), and Customs Penalty Law, with a particular emphasis on matters related to international goods transactions.
His practice focuses on the legal framework for import and export operations, the optimisation of customs regimes and procedures, trade defense mechanisms, and compliance with obligations arising from customs legislation, particularly regarding export controls, economic sanctions, licensing, and general customs compliance.
He is also actively engaged in academic and scientific work in the field of Customs Law, serving as a university professor and author of numerous books and specialised articles published in Portugal and abroad. He also holds positions in organisations and associations related to international trade and Customs Law, participating in working groups and technical initiatives in these areas.
Experience
-
Advising companies with international operations on internationalisation projects, including the preparation of tax and customs impact studies applicable to different jurisdictions.
-
Legal consulting for economic operators in the international trade sector on optimising customs operations through the application of special customs regimes involving the suspension or exemption of customs duties.
-
Representation of industrial and commercial companies in investigations regarding unfair trade practices, including anti-dumping and anti-subsidy proceedings conducted by European authorities.
-
Legal advice on export control and supervision matters, including economic sanctions and licensing regimes for military and dual-use goods.
-
Preparation of technical studies on tariff classification, origin, and customs value, including the preparation of applications for Binding Tariff Information (BTI) and Binding Origin Information (BOI).
-
Assisting companies during customs and tax inspections, including technical-customs aspects and administrative and criminal proceedings.
-
Advising foreign investors on investment processes in Portugal, including due diligence on the tax and customs framework of the respective transactions.
Education
-
Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Law Degree (2000)
-
Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Postgraduate Degree in Contract Law (2003)
-
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
Diploma in Advanced Studies in European Tax Law (2006)
Associations
