The Canada Border Services Agency plans to again push back the sunset date for legacy release options as part of the Single Window Initiative and Integrated Import Declaration transition, the agency said in an Oct. 2 email. "Due to the delay in issuing the Single Window Initiative (SWI), Integrated Import Declaration (IID) ECCRD Addendum, the deadline to sunset the legacy Other Government Department (OGD) release service options (OGD PARS and OGD RMD) will be extended to April 1, 2020," the agency said. "The SWI IID ECCRD Addendum includes the necessary functionality that will enable TCPs to be able to process co-regulated shipments, and, as such decommissioning cannot occur until this functionality has been implemented." The CBSA released the addendum document on Oct. 2.
Brazil added another 147 items to its list of foreign capital, information technology and telecommunications goods exempt from import tariffs under its Ex-Tarifario regime, according to an Oct. 3 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Tariffs will be reduced to zero, from 16 percent or 14 percent, the report said, and many of the additional goods “could potentially be imported” from China and Hong Kong. The additions include 136 capital goods and 11 IT and telecom goods and will be exempt from tariffs through Dec. 31, 2021, the HKTDC said. Brazil added 281 products to its Ex-Tarifario regime in August (see 1908120042).
Argentina expanded its authorized economic operator program to include customs brokers, customs agents and “road transport shippers linked to foreign trade,” according to an Oct. 3 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. To participate in the AEO program, the brokers, agents and shippers must meet certain tax compliance and “commercial registration systems” requirements,” the report said. The change is part of Argentina’s effort to align its AEO program with the World Customs Organization's parameters, the HKTDC said.
The Mexican Secretariat of Economy on Sept. 27 published a notice listing the names and tax numbers of maquiladoras that are being terminated from the Industria Manufacturera, Maquiladora y de Servicios de Exportacion (IMMEX) program for non-compliance with reporting requirements. The list of about 170 companies includes those that failed to submit required annual reports, or submitted reports that did not comply with Mexican regulations.
The Supply-Managed Trade Controls Division of Global Affairs Canada updated its public documents page related to the tariff rate quota administration for supply-managed products, GAC said in an Oct.1 message to industry. "The Notices to Importers have been reformulated in plain language," the agency said. "There is no change to existing ministerial policies. In order to eliminate information duplicated across many of the Notices to Importers, general information has been centralized in one document. Finally, one document that sets out key dates and access quantities for the various TRQs has been created to facilitate the updating and consultation of this information."
Argentina extended for 360 days an export ban on certain iron and steel waste intended for consumption, according to a Sept. 30 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The extension is aimed at maintaining a “steady supply of raw materials for domestic manufacturers,” the report said.