The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of April 10 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
After current and former lawmakers asked the Treasury Department to clarify its stance on humanitarian exports to sanctioned countries, the agency pushed back on accusations that sanctions are stopping those exports, saying it does not target legitimate exported aid. Some of those accusations are marred by a misunderstanding of Treasury’s general licenses and exemptions, said sanctions lawyer Doug Jacobson: they do allow a broad range of humanitarian exports to countries like Iran.
The European Commission asked Schengen Area member states to extend restrictions on non-essential travel until May 15 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the commission said April 8. The European Union originally requested a 30-day travel ban, but the virus requires “more than 30 days to be effective,” the commission said. The commission stressed that such a travel ban can only be effective if it is adopted by all EU and Schengen states “at all borders, with the same end date and in a uniform manner.”
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of April 8 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
Singapore Customs is advising traders to use only electronic certificates of origin due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an April 7 notice. This includes forms submitted through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Single Window and the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement.
Mexico's undersecretary for foreign trade said July 1 is the earliest the new NAFTA could go into effect, but also suggested that an August or September date of entry into force would be fine. Luz Maria de la Mora spoke on a webinar hosted by the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute on April 7.
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of April 6 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
The Canada Border Services Agency issued some guidances on the regulatory changes that are coming as part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (see 2004030046), which is known as the CUSMA in Canada. Customs notice 20-14 covers implementation of the agreement, including tariff provisions, advanced rulings and proof of origin. Customs notice 20-13 gives an overview of the new definition for specially defined mixtures under the agreement. Among other things, “the new SDM definition now has a cooking requirement, goods must be par-fried, partially or fully cooked,” it said. “The definition will also change what is to be considered as part of the 13% other goods. Sauces are now excluded from the 13% calculation and bread, such as sandwich bread, can now be included in the 13% calculation.” Further information will come in a CBSA memo, it said. Customs notice 20-15 covers the change to Canada's de minimis threshold for low-value goods. “Effective on the day of coming into force of CUSMA, the CBSA will increase its Low Value Shipment (LVS) thresholds for all commercial importations (in addition to those for express shipments) to an estimated value for duty not exceeding CAD$3,300,” it said.
China recently announced procedures for returns of cross-border exported and imported e-commerce goods, according to an April 3 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Traders seeking to return goods must apply to China’s customs authority to “engage in return business,” the report said. Any returns must come with a “guarantee” that the returns are the original goods, the report said, and must be completed within a certain time frame. The measures for returns of exports took effect March 27, and for returns of imports, on March 28.
The Canadian government has sent its letter to the U.S. and Mexico certifying it is ready for the USMCA date of entry into force, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced April 3, but a top Mexican official said his country did not certify it was ready by March 31, which means a June 1 date of entry into force is out of reach.