Argentina recently reestablished its tariff rate quota (see 2011250024) for up to 4,500 units of certain electric, hybrid and hydrogen motor vehicles, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 23. The TRQ will remain in effect for 18 months, HKTDC said, and all in-quota imports will benefit from either duty-free treatment or reduced duties of 2% or 5%, “depending on the product.” Of the 4,500 units, 4,275 will be allocated to Argentinian producers, and 225 units to other importers, the report said.

Argentina and Canada recently took antidumping and countervailing duty actions on products from China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 21. Argentina renewed its antidumping duty order on certain ceramic and porcelain tableware from China, which will continue to be subject to a duty of $3.71/kg. Canada is seeking comments by Oct. 12 on whether it should begin an expiry review of antidumping and countervailing duty orders on certain Chinese “solder joint pressure pipe fittings and solder joint drainage, waste and vent pipe fittings,” HKTDC said.

CBP extended its temporary travel restrictions on the northern and southern borders through Oct. 21, it said in two notices. The travel bans do not apply to cargo, and exempt crossing the border from Canada or Mexico to work in the U.S.

Brazil recently revised its list of aeronautical goods subject to duty-free treatment under a special import program, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 20. The revisions, which took effect Sept. 1, exempt duties for certain aircraft and other vehicles of the same Harmonized System tariff heading, their parts, ground flight trainers and parts, and certain “goods manufactured in accordance with aeronautical technical specifications and approval standards” as well as their parts.

Argentina recently announced new certification requirements for certain domestically produced and imported ceramic tiles and plates, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 17. The tiles and plates must disclose certain information on their “body or primary packaging,” regardless of their quality, HKTDC said. The new required information includes the name and unique tax identification code of the domestic producer or importer, the country of origin, the nominal content, the nature of the surface, information on any surface treatment applied after firing, and the manufacturer’s production identification or batch number, HKTDC said. Imported tiles and plates must comply with these and certain other requirements by Jan. 8, although some imports that fail to meet the requirements may be released to the importer as long as the goods enter into compliance within 30 days of their customs clearance date.

Brazil recently announced antidumping duty decisions on certain products from mainland China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 2. Brazil ended without judgment its AD duty investigation of certain hosiery and socks from Hong Kong and mainland China, saying the “merit analysis was impaired due to a lack of accuracy and inadequacy in the information provided by the domestic industry.” Brazil also determined that certain pot rests, cup holders, trays and cutting boards fall within the scope of its AD duty on certain Chinese ceramic tableware, except for certain cutlery utensils. The country also renewed for five years an AD duty on certain mainland Chinese polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film (see 2108020010), and further amended that order by revising the AD measure from, in U.S. currency, 65 cents per kilogram to $654.95 per tonne.

Brazil recently approved a new certificate for imports of U.S. milk and dairy products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service reported Sept. 2. The country will grant a 60-day transition period between the old and new dairy certificates effective from the Aug. 30 date of publication. The transition period is meant to avoid trade disruptions, USDA said. After Oct. 29, Brazilian authorities will accept only the new certificate, USDA said, adding that the certificates will be checked at ports of entry.

Brazil’s economic minister recently said South American countries need to modernize the Mercosur trade bloc and embrace ‘broad-ranging” revisions, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 2. Minister Paulo Guedes suggested a 10% reduction in the bloc’s common external tariff and said member states should be allowed to “carry out trade negotiations independently of their trade bloc peers,” HKTDC said. Guedes noted other regional blocs signed free trade deals in recent years and said Mercosur remains “a prisoner of an alliance that is unable to modernise,” the report said. The modernization effort is supported by Uruguay but has seen “significant pushback” from Argentina, HKTDC said.

Argentina recently revised its technical requirements for certain imported fiberboard and particleboard, including new labeling and conformity certification conditions, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 27. The new conditions include conformity requirements for various types of fiberboard for use in dry and humid conditions, HKTDC said. The requirements apply to fiberboard and particleboard whether coated or uncoated, except for oriented strand board.

Brazilian authorities expect its new import process, which allows traders to benefit from certain administrative improvements (see 2108120016), to be fully implemented by the end of 2022, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 26. The country is also continuing discussions with industry on how to improve Brazil’s international trade regime, including its World Trade Organization commitments and licensing restrictions. In addition, a recently announced measure will “strengthen the current legal framework for Brazil’s electronic single window” and clarifies how trade-related fees should be paid.