Mexico announced changes to its Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program to offer customs-related benefits for maquiladora factories. One of the largest changes allows tariff relief for a period of 36 months for items imported temporarily into Mexico or with regard to maquiladora factories, merchandise transferred to companies not operating under the IMMEX (Industria Manufacturera, Maquiladora y de Servicio de Exportación) regime, KPMG said in an alert Feb. 2. Mexico also added two additional digits to its commercial identification numbers to exert more statistical control over its import and export transactions, along with eliminating certain low-volume tariff items and subheadings -- changes made effective at the end of 2020. Other changes include the possibility of canceling value-added tax certifications if companies did not timely submit their renewal request at the end of 2020. Also, firms must now evaluate the implications of “subcontracted” personnel for VAT certification purposes, as the information from suppliers must be updated, due to labor reforms in USMCA.

The U.S. has not publicly released all the companies that have applied for an extended period to get their North American-made vehicles into compliance with the tighter rules of origin, but both Canada and Mexico have published the list of 12 companies that have been approved. Since all three countries must approve alternative staging regimes, it follows that these companies' transition plans are cleared by the U.S., as well. The press office of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is in transition with a change in administrations.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Jan. 29 (some may also be given separate headlines):

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will host a virtual trade event for U.S. sweets and snack exporters looking to expand sales to Latin America, the agency said in a Jan. 25 news release. The April 20-21 online event will provide U.S. exporters information about trade conditions and market access in several Central American countries -- including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama -- and connect exporters with buyers. Applications for the event are due Feb. 8.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Jan. 25 (some may also be given separate headlines):

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Jan. 22 (some may also be given separate headlines):

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Jan. 20 (some may also be given separate headlines):

Argentina recently lowered export taxes on a range of agricultural goods and imposed financing restrictions for importers of certain luxury beverages, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report released Jan. 14. The government lowered export taxes for certain “specialty crops,” including apples, pears, blueberries, seeds and alfalfa, which is intended to boost the competitiveness of Argentinian exporters, and encourage exports of “products whose increased production will result in higher levels of employment, and for which increasing exports won’t raise food costs.” The financing restrictions apply to importers of certain luxury goods, including champagne, whisky and other liquors valued at more than $50 per liter.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Jan. 18 (some may also be given separate headlines):

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Jan. 15 (some may also be given separate headlines):