Canada is seeking public comments on whether it should collect and publish country of melt and pour (COM) information for steel imports under the Canada’s Steel Import Monitoring Program. The public consultation period will help it “provide a better understanding of the use and value of this data for stakeholders and to assess its potential application on the steel import process,” Canada said. It hopes increasing its oversight over COM could boost supply chain transparency by obtaining a “more fulsome picture of the origins of imported steel goods.” The consultation period closes June 26.

The Commerce Department will lead a group of American companies and exporters to Brazil May 15-18 as part of the 2022 South America Trade Mission and Business Conference, Commerce said in an emailed news release May 9. The broader trade mission will feature stops in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Uruguay to help businesses “seeking to expand into new markets,” the agency said. Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves said the mission will specifically look to expand U.S. market opportunities in Brazil. “This trip will allow the United States and Brazil to forge an even stronger partnership, one which will deepen the economic relationship between both nations and further build upon our shared goals and commitments,” Graves said.

Canada on May 7 will rescind duty-free treatment for imports of medical supplies and personnel protective equipment, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported May 3. Canada originally introduced the tariff relief, effective May 6, 2020, to “mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic” but has since determined that the duty is “no longer warranted.” Products no longer covered by the duty exemption include diagnostic test kits, face and eye protection, gloves, protective garments, disinfectants, sterilization products, medical devices and thermometers. When the notice about the remission of the tariffs was published in the Canada Gazette May 27, 2020, it noted: “The Order will remain in force as long as warranted by the COVID-19 situation.”

Canada plans to soon revise and modernize its import requirements for pet chews made from animal products and byproducts, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said in an April 25 report. The revisions are meant to “simplify” the import process by categorizing pet chews and strengthen microbiological testing controls. Canada also will update its list of countries from which it accepts pet chew imports, USDA said. The agency said a one-year transition period will follow the May 2 implementation date.

Canada, Mexico and Argentina recently announced antidumping duty and countervailing duty actions and decisions on certain products from mainland China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 26. Canada recently announced the impending expiration of its AD and CVD orders on certain Chinese fabricated industrial steel components, HKTDC said. Canada didn’t receive any submissions in support of the expiry review or the continuation of the measures, the report, and they are expected to expire May 24.

Costa Rica temporarily adjusted its “tax base” for goods imported by sea, KPMG said April 21. Taxpayers who import certain goods by sea, including international cargo consolidators, carriers and customs agents, will have a “new table of freight values ​​to determine the tax base,” the firm said. The change, which took effect March 30, will remain in effect for one year.

Mexico recently adopted new requirements that will affect certain imported prepackaged juices, coconut water, nectars and nonalcoholic beverages, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 19. The imports must meet certain labeling requirements and other “specifications” related to “product denomination, physicochemical specifications and ingredients,” HKTDC said. The changes take effect Aug. 27, but covered goods must comply with the new labeling requirements starting Jan. 1, 2023. Importers “may place labels, stickers or decals on top of the original labels” as long as “all required disclosures are included,” the report said.

Panama recently revised import requirements for fresh potatoes and poultry products, and made changes to sanitary registrations for pet food, raw materials, ingredients and additives, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said in an April 12 report. The major changes restricted imports of certain poultry products from countries affected with highly pathogenic avian influenza and established new quality requirements for potatoes, which could “significantly impact the exports of U.S. potatoes to Panama,” USDA said. Potato imports must pass a “visual potato analysis” to ensure they meet certain safety standards, the agency said.

Mexico, Canada and Brazil recently announced antidumping duty and countervailing duty actions and decisions on certain products from mainland China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 11. Mexico recently renewed its AD order on Chinese children’s bicycles for five years, HKTDC said, which will face an AD duty of $13.12 per unit.

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service this week published reports on recently updated Brazilian regulations that will affect U.S. meat and dairy exporters. The reports cover Brazil’s updated plant registration and labeling guidance, products that are eligible for import and definitions for a range of goods.