Brazil added another 147 items to its list of foreign capital, information technology and telecommunications goods exempt from import tariffs under its Ex-Tarifario regime, according to an Oct. 3 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Tariffs will be reduced to zero, from 16 percent or 14 percent, the report said, and many of the additional goods “could potentially be imported” from China and Hong Kong. The additions include 136 capital goods and 11 IT and telecom goods and will be exempt from tariffs through Dec. 31, 2021, the HKTDC said. Brazil added 281 products to its Ex-Tarifario regime in August (see 1908120042).

Argentina expanded its authorized economic operator program to include customs brokers, customs agents and “road transport shippers linked to foreign trade,” according to an Oct. 3 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. To participate in the AEO program, the brokers, agents and shippers must meet certain tax compliance and “commercial registration systems” requirements,” the report said. The change is part of Argentina’s effort to align its AEO program with the World Customs Organization's parameters, the HKTDC said.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Oct. 2 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

The Mexican Secretariat of Economy on Sept. 27 published a notice listing the names and tax numbers of maquiladoras that are being terminated from the Industria Manufacturera, Maquiladora y de Servicios de Exportacion (IMMEX) program for non-compliance with reporting requirements. The list of about 170 companies includes those that failed to submit required annual reports, or submitted reports that did not comply with Mexican regulations.

The Supply-Managed Trade Controls Division of Global Affairs Canada updated its public documents page related to the tariff rate quota administration for supply-managed products, GAC said in an Oct.1 message to industry. "The Notices to Importers have been reformulated in plain language," the agency said. "There is no change to existing ministerial policies. In order to eliminate information duplicated across many of the Notices to Importers, general information has been centralized in one document. Finally, one document that sets out key dates and access quantities for the various TRQs has been created to facilitate the updating and consultation of this information."

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Sept. 30 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

Argentina extended for 360 days an export ban on certain iron and steel waste intended for consumption, according to a Sept. 30 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The extension is aimed at maintaining a “steady supply of raw materials for domestic manufacturers,” the report said.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Sept. 27 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

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

Mexico is again allowing more time for importers to comply with new certificate of compliance requirements for some Mexican product standards at the time of entry, the Mexican Confederation of Customs Broker Associations said in a recent circular. After two previous 15-day extensions, an importer will now have a longer grace period extending until Oct. 31 to obtain a certificate of compliance from a recognized certification body. Until the time period expires, importers that have not yet obtained the certificate may continue their current operations unchanged, as long as they submitted their request to the certification body by June 30 and include a receipt number for the request in their entry documentation.