A former Mexican economy secretary, Ildefonso Guajardo, who oversaw the NAFTA renegotiation, said Mexico's current administration has not complied with the energy provisions in the trade agreement, and has "tried to disrupt trade in corn, using excuses of sanitary issues" and genetic modifications. He said in both cases, the trade disagreements "have become part of the full political negotiation" that includes migration and also includes fentanyl and security issues.
Brazil and Canada recently announced antidumping and countervailing duty actions and decisions on certain products from mainland China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 11.
Mexico's Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena, on her first trip to Washington, put USMCA first in her list of priorities, saying that in the less than 14 months left in the administration she is part of, she wants "to be able to bring certainty" in the NAFTA replacement, and to engage across all three countries in various sectors. "It's very important to consolidate this very important economic framework, and to make sure even if we are leaving in 13 months that this can remain as a powerful ... mechanism of trade and investment and economic development and partnership," she said at the Atlantic Council Aug. 10.
Canada will again impose additional temporary import requirements for imports of U.S.-origin romaine lettuce, the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report this month. The requirements, which Canada also has imposed in previous years (see 2109280034), will allow Canadians to import romaine lettuce from the Salinas Valley counties of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey or San Benito only if the lettuce tests negative for “E. coli O157:H7.” The requirements will be in effect Sept. 28 through Dec. 20.
"As we move forward to implement the terms of the agreement, we are committed to working collaboratively with our labour partners, the federal government and key stakeholders to rebuild the reputation of Canada’s largest gateway," the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) said in announcing that a labor agreement it had ratified was also ratified by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada late last week.
Colombia, Canada, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil recently announced antidumping and countervailing duty actions and decisions on certain products from mainland China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported July 27.
The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada have reached a tentative agreement after accepting settlement terms from federal mediators on July 13, according to a tweet from Canadian Minister of Labour Seamus O'Regan Jr.
Canada and Mexico talked about the panel ruling on auto rules of origin -- a decision that went their way but that the U.S. has chosen not to implement -- and Canada brought up the issue with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai as well, according to readouts from Mexico and Canada about the bilateral meetings July 6 ahead of the official Free Trade Commission meeting in Cancun, Mexico.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is extending its deadline for the new shipborne dunnage program to Nov. 6, Livingston International said June 30. The original directive for the program, published Jan. 6, made the deadline for compliance July 6. The extension was announced to "allow more time for the industry to address implementation issues," Livingston said. The order also includes amendments to "approved heat treatments and marking requirements made under the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15," Livingston said. CFIA did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
Colombia recently lifted an import ban on U.S. poultry after lobbying from American and Colombian poultry traders and the USDA, the agency announced last week. USDA said Colombia began denying import permits for all American poultry products June 1 due to concerns about highly pathogenic avian influenza, but the agency worked with companies to “communicate the impact of the ban” to the Colombian government, which caused the country to lift the restrictions June 8.