Canada's import controls apply to all milk protein substances (MPS) with a milk protein content of 85% or more of dry matter weight if the imports don't qualify for a trade, Global Affairs Canada said in an Aug. 28 message to industry. "If a product does not qualify as originating under the concerned trade agreement, or if transhipment requirements are not satisfied, an import permit is required," the agency said. MPS imports from a NAFTA country, an EU country or other EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement beneficiary, Chile, Costa Rica or Israel "are exempted from Canada's import permit requirements for MPS," GAC said.

Canada’s accession to the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty requires “significant amendments” to the country’s Export and Import Permits Act that will broaden its current export control regime, according to an August post from the McMillan law firm.

Costa Rica published forms and instructions online for registering certain people and entities for value-added tax purposes, KPMG said in an Aug. 21 post. The form applies to exporters, exporter suppliers, and marketers, distributors and producers of food, among others, KPMG said.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Aug. 26 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

The Canada Border Services Agency on Aug. 26 updated Memorandum D11-11-1 on national customs rulings. The update includes information on new procedures for processing ruling requests by email between the applicant or their agent and the CBSA. “The CBSA encourages the exchange of information by email with the applicant,” starts the new section on email communication. The updated memo also includes new policies on a five-year disposal and retention period for CBSA to retain records of ruling requests. Finally, the update includes new circumstances when a ruling will not be issued and the request rejected, including when supplementary information was requested but not provided within 30 days or the request does meet the requirements listed in the memorandum.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Aug. 23 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

Global Affairs Canada issued a notice to brokers and a notice to exporters related to the country's accession to the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (see 1906260066). “An export permit requirement has been put in place for the export of ATT items” to the U.S., GAC said. The reporting requirements “enable the Government of Canada to increase transparency by reporting on the permanent export of ATT items to the United States.”

Recent editions of Mexico's Diario Oficial list trade-related notices as follows:

Paraguay designated Hizballah, al-Qaida, ISIS and Hamas as terrorist organizations, following similar sanctions levied by the U.S., the State Department said in an Aug. 21 press release. The State Department applauded the move and said it will help “cut off the ability of these groups … to raise money around the world.” Paraguay joins Argentina and the United Kingdom as countries that recently announced sanctions against Hizballah, which is "not a defender of Lebanon as it purports to be, but a terrorist organization dedicated to advancing Iran’s malicious agenda," the State Department said.

Mexico recently issued regulations formalizing import restrictions put in place in 2018 meant to protect against the introduction of African swine fever, according to a press release from the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER). Published on Aug. 15, the new regulations keep in place measures set in 2018 that prohibit the importation of pigs, pork, semen and embryos, as well as containers and vehicles used to transport these animals and animal products.