Brazil established or renewed tariff-rate quotas on a range of imports to address the lack of supply in the domestic market, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said Sept. 17. Duties for the in-quota imports will be reduced by 2% for one year, HKTDC said, affecting up to 6,240 tons of “acrylic/modacrylic filament tow,” 72,000 tons of lignosulfonates, 2.5 million bands “suitable for use on arms or wrists” in “blood pressure measuring devices,” and 2,500 tons of certain “nickel-chrome-molybdenum alloy plates.” Brazil also established or renewed for one year an in-quota tariff rate of zero for certain vaccines. Other TRQs will benefit imports of certain ethyl alcohol and certain rice products.
Brazil will keep its tariff rate quota on U.S. ethanol exports steady over the next 90 days, as the two countries negotiate how to “improve market access” for ethanol and sugar in the U.S. and in Brazil. They will also consider liberalizing corn imports in the two countries. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced the negotiations after the close of business Sept. 11, and the 90-day timeline started Sept 14. The ethanol market has been hurt by the reduction in driving due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Juan Cortina, vice president of the Consejo Nacional Agropecuario, told a Mexican business journalist that his organization and growers met with the Mexican Economy Ministry and Agriculture Ministry to urge them to respond forcefully and proportionately if the U.S. punishes Mexican blueberry or bell pepper producers. The International Trade Commission is investigating whether imported blueberries are injuring domestic producers, and is tracking imports of other Mexican vegetables, which could lead to a second investigation. “It is important that Mexico sends a clear signal to the northern neighbors that this is not OK,” he said in Spanish, and suggested that Mexican officials could retaliate against U.S. corn, soybeans, dairy, pork, beef, chicken, apples, wheat, or high fructose corn syrup.
While the changes to de minimis for Canada and Mexico have been heavily discussed, Doug Band, the Canada Border Services Agency's director general of trade and anti-dumping, directed traders to the revisions' finer points during a CBP Virtual Trade Week seminar on the USMCA, known as CUSMA in Canada.