The Mexican Secretariat of Economy has announced a 90-day grace period for new requirements to submit proof of compliance with certain Mexican product standards at the time of entry, according to a circular issued by the Mexican Confederation of Customs Broker Associations that posted by consultancy AJR Comercio Exterior. Under regulations issued in October, imports subject to some Mexican standards will be denied entry into Mexico beginning June 3, 2019, if they are not accompanied by a certificate of compliance previously entered into an automated system by the third-party certifier (see 1904100076).
In the May 22 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:
The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of May 22 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
Importers of goods from Vietnam into Mexico cannot currently request preferential duty treatment under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Mexican Confederation of Customs Broker Associations said in a May 21 circular posted by consultancy AJR Comercio Exterior. Though Vietnam has notified Mexico of the format of its certificate of origin to request preferential treatment, some doubts have surfaced about certificates that are being presented by importers, CAAAREM said.
Foreign manufacturers need to be aware that their products may be covered by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security's listing of telecommunications equipment manufacturer Huawei on the Entity List, even if they aren't manufactured in the U.S., according to an alert by law firm Sheppard Mullin. U.S. export controls on Huawei and its affiliates may apply to a substantial scope of foreign goods that contain more than 25 percent U.S.-origin content. Under the BIS de minimis rule, products are subject to the Export Administration Regulations -- and consequently new license requirements for Huawei -- if more than one-fourth of the product is composed of U.S.-origin content that is also controlled under the EAR, except for “EAR99 items” or products that do not require a license, the alert said.
China recently announced the repeal of labeling submission requirements for pre-packaged food, and added new functionalities to its online customs systems to facilitate value-added tax refunds. It also set new standards for electronically submitted documents, as well as new inspection procedures for auto parts at the Port of Shanghai. The following is an update on recent customs and trade-related actions by China:
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to remove Venezuela from Country Group B and add it to Country Groups D:1-4, which “lists countries of national security concern” and adds new licensing requirements while restricting the use of certain license exceptions for exports. The changes take effect May 24.
In the May 17 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:
Guatemalan customs authorities will now allow multiple corrections to Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) certificates of origin, reversing a previous policy that only allowed COOs to be corrected once for imports from the U.S., the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service said in a May 16 report. Implemented beginning April 26, the new policy “will help expedite the clearance of imported U.S. products, saving importers tens of thousands of dollars and make the import process more transparent,” the report said. Under the new policy, the COO can be corrected multiple times within 15 calendar days of written notification, which will also be provided by Guatemalan customs under the new policy.
The Canada Border Services Agency is looking closely at surtax payments due on imports from the U.S. that were required as part of Canada's retaliatory tariffs, a CBSA spokesman said May 17. "The CBSA has been analysing import data and conducting compliance activities to verify that the correct amount of surtax was paid by importers since the summer of 2018," the spokesman said by email. "These activities are continuing on an ongoing basis and additional assessments of surtax owing are issued where appropriate." KPMG recently noted an uptick in CBSA audits on the surtaxes (see 1905130062).