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Mexico Should Align Essential Business Guidelines With US, Canada in Pandemic, Trade Group Says
April 14, 2020 |Americas

The Border Trade Alliance is urging Mexico to align its guidelines on essential industries allowed to stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic with similar directives from the U.S. and Canada. In an April 9 letter to Mexican Health Minister Jorge Alcocer Varela, the trade group voiced concern that “a lack of clarity and alignment over what private sector industries and services are deemed by Mexico as ‘essential’ is proving increasing[ly] problematic for firms whose manufacturing operations and supply chains are partially or wholly dependent on output from Mexico. Discrepancies between countries in the identification of essential services and industries are likely to cause increased disruptions to cross-border supply chains at a time when ensuring and preserving efficient cross-border trade and commerce is more important than ever,” it said. Mexico should adopt “guidelines aligned to the extent possible with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security guidelines for critical infrastructure industries and the newly issued federal guidelines from the Canadian federal government,” the letter said.

CBSA Provides Guidance on Due Dates for Customs Debts, Interest
April 14, 2020 |Americas

The delayed due dates for customs duties in Canada don't apply to debts due before March 25, the Canada Border Services Agency said in an April 11 email. “Debt due before March 25, 2020 is payable on the due date identified on the” Statement of Accounts, it said. “Debt due on or after March 25 2020, is payable on June 30, 2020. Only debt due on and after March 25, 2020 is eligible for the June extension,” it said. The CBSA recently extended the due date for regular customs duties to June 30 (see 2003270053).

CFIA Says Organic Import Requirements for Honey, Maple Products Now in AIRS This Month
April 13, 2020 |Americas

The organic import requirements for honey and maple products will be incorporated into the Automated Import Reference System this month, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said by email. “Also, starting April 2020 the Canada Organic Regime team will be including the admissibility requirement for the import of organic products” in AIRS, CFIA said. “Importers of organic products will be required to submit copy of organic certificate (electronic copy) when declaring import of organic products in the Integrated Import Declaration (IID) database. Honey and maple products will be the first commodities for which the admissibility requirement will be implemented. It is the responsibility of the importer to familiarize themselves with the new codes and comply with the import requirements.” The agency is phasing in the requirements (see 1905290046).

Costa Rica Considering 'Zero-Duty' TRQ on Rice Imports Due to COVID-19 Pandemic Measures
April 10, 2020 |Americas

Costa Rica's Rice Corporation asked the country’s government to open a “special tariff rate quota” for the importation of 60,000 metric tons of rice at “zero duty” for delivery in June and July, due to changed circumstances surrounding the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report released April 8. The request came as Costa Rican consumers “rushed” to supermarkets in March to buy “basic staples,” including rice and beans, as the country discovered its first cases of COVID-19 and social distancing norms were established. The TRQ would maintain the country’s rice supply, which is expected to further dwindle, the USDA said. The government is considering a “smaller TRQ,” the USDA said, most likely in the range of 40,000 metric tons.