The World Customs Organization issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Country of origin cases
Importers may want to delay filing for U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement reconciliation because the USMCA currently doesn't allow for post-entry refunds of merchandise processing fees, CBP officials said during a National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones webinar on June 16. Maya Kamar, CBP director for textiles and trade agreements, said that although the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is working with Congress for a legislative fix to the issue, CBP doesn't yet have clarity on whether such a bill will pass (see 2006050034).
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of June 15 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
The United Kingdom on June 12 announced new plans to phase in import entry requirements for goods from the European Union over a six-month period following the end of the Brexit transition period on Dec. 31, 2020. The U.K. government will also provide £50 million in additional funding for customs brokers, forwarders and express couriers for recruitment, training and information technology (IT) expenses.
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of June 12 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
While most of the focus on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement has been on the changes to the auto rules of origin and enforcement measures aimed at Mexico, Crowell & Moring lawyers explained that importers and exporters of textiles and chemicals also can take advantage of rules that changed from NAFTA for inclusion in the updated agreement.
An interim final rule explaining how the Department of Labor will certify how much of a vehicle's production came from workers making at least $16 an hour has been sent to the Office and Management and Budget for review, the final step before issuance. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at OMB received the rule on June 1.
Five senators announced a bill to expand on sanctions against Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The bill would sanction vessels involved in laying the pipes, those who provide the vessels and those who provide tethering services to those vessels, according to a June 4 press release. “This new bill will once and for all clarify that those involved in any way with installing pipeline for the project will face crippling and immediate American sanctions,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who introduced the bill along with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; John Barrasso, R-Wyo.; Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; and Ron Johnson, R-Wis.
The president of the American Automotive Policy Council, former Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, said the release of the uniform regulations in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement was so recent that it's too early “to give a definitive view of what needs to be clarified,” or is missing. But he said one of the really important asks of the automotive industry was granted -- an acknowledgement that importers and exporters would need the rest of the year to be ready for full compliance.
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of June 3 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):