Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru recently extended measures to promote and facilitate trade in cosmetics, cleaning products and certain hygiene products, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported May 10. Through Dec. 31, the Andean Community countries may accept a “commitment letter in lieu of a certificate of free sale or a similar authorisation” of the country of origin when traders are looking to renew sanitary certifications, HKTDC said. In the letter, the trading party must “commit” to provide the certificate within six months after the sanitary notification is issued, renewed or modified. The countries may also extend a deadline by up to 12 months that will allow importers to “exhaust existing stocks” of their cosmetics, cleaning and hygiene products when their sanitary certificate has expired.

Peru recently revised its labeling requirements for certain manufactured imports to include the country of origin, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said May 6. The country previously required only the “country of manufacture” and certain other information, but traders now must disclose the country of origin for any “packaged or primary processed agricultural food product,” HKTDC said. The country of origin information must be in Spanish, HKTDC said, and the country of manufacture and, for perishable products, expiration date, must be “indelibly marked” on the product or packaging.

Argentina recently revised the required information traders must submit to receive “automatic and non‑automatic” licenses, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported May 6. The country will require traders to submit more information before they can receive licenses for footwear, certain textiles, apparel and other items, including certain exporter and importer information, the product description and composition, a “sworn declaration” of the product composition number and certain certifications that say the goods meet technical requirements.

Colombia recently increased its import duties on certain apparel products, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported May 5. The country announced last month that it would establish a 40% ad valorem duty on certain apparel items with a “[free on board] value equal to or lower than” $10 per gross kilogram. Colombia will also impose a “compound duty rate” of 15% ad valorem plus $1.50 per gross kilogram for apparel items with an FOB price higher than $10 per gross kilogram. The duties will remain in place for two years.

Brazil recently introduced new requirements surrounding imports of medicines to combat and vaccines to prevent COVID-19, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported May 5. Those imports must be “specifically indicated for the treatment or prevention” of COVID-19, must be approved by a foreign health authority and must have “at least Phase 3 clinical studies completed or with provisional results,” HKTDC said. The country also simplified other procedures around importing “priority medical devices and medicines” that aren’t authorized in Brazil on a “temporary and exceptional basis.” Those products must be prequalified by the World Health Organization or meet other foreign regulatory standards, HKTDC said, and must prove compliance with “good manufacturing practices.”

With the administration's desire to address root causes for migration from Central American countries, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the free trade agreement that covers that region, and the Dominican Republic, has been “very much on my mind recently.”

Mexico will soon require most organic raw materials and bulk goods to be certified under the country’s organic law (LPO) standards, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report released May 3. The measure takes effect June 26 and will require certain imports to show “proof of LPO certification at the border,” USDA said. Mexico hasn't approved U.S. requests to postpone the effective date, and U.S. traders should “prepare for compliance.”

Potato industry groups and lawmakers applauded a ruling this week by Mexico’s Supreme Court that reversed a ban on potato imports from the U.S. (see 2102220022), clearing the way for more potato trade between the two countries. The ban stemmed from a 2017 lower court ruling siding with a Mexican potato cartel that argued the government had no authority to allow the imports.

Brazil recently adopted a “special procedure” to determine whether an import is not complying with its non-preferential origin rules, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 22. The procedure will be carried out after a complaint by Brazilian authorities, who will examine the origin information provided by the parties and any related documents, conduct “technical visits to domestic producers of like products” and on‑site verifications at production plants and the offices of foreign exporters and Brazilian importers, the report said. Authorities will also send a questionnaire to the producers to request the origin information, HKTDC said, adding that the Brazilian importer will be responsible for any information the producer submits. If Brazil determines there is “no proof of the declared origin,” the importer “must adopt the origin determined” by authorities.

Argentina recently revised its treatment of footwear labeling requirement violations, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported April 22. The country will restrict footwear imports that don’t meet the requirements unless the importer “commits to correct the non‑compliance.” the report said, and unless Argentina's regulations authority issues an authorization to “adapt the footwear label to domestic market requirements.” The country will also require the footwear size to be marked in accordance with Argentina's sizing system, HKTDC said. The report includes details about remaining existing labeling requirements.