Recent editions of Mexico's Diario Oficial list trade-related notices as follows:

The Canada Border Services Agency is taking a closer look at surtaxes collected on "other US goods" as part of Canada's retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., KPMG said in a report. The agency has "come to the conclusion that the volume of imports of these products against the amount of surtax collected does not balance. So the CBSA [has] started to audit importers of all goods subject to surtaxes." There are more than 100 such audits underway in the Toronto area and "many more across Canada," KPMG said.

The Canada Border Services Agency updated a memorandum to include information on the CBSA's expanded role in "enforcing the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s aquatic animal health and plant health requirements that overlap with the Agency’s role respecting the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations," the CBSA said May 13.

Argentina increased the value-added tax rate on certain imports, from 10 percent to 20 percent, according to a notice from Argentina’s tax authority and a May 10 report from KPMG. The change, which took effect April 17, will apply to taxpayers that cannot show that they are exempt from VATs or “in situations when the imported goods are regarded by the importer as fixed assets for accounting purposes,” KPMG said. KPMG said the change may cause some importers to “experience a substantial increase of VAT credit balances -- and these may be difficult to offset against output VAT.”

The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of May 10 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

The Canada Border Services Agency should review the Courier Low Value Shipment Program "to improve the validation and collection" of sales taxes, the Auditor General of Canada said in a recently released report. The report focused on the growth of e-commerce from 2014 through February of 2019. "We found that existing legislation, combined with the Canada Border Services Agency’s poor data management of low-value shipments imported into Canada by courier companies, placed Canadian businesses at an unfair disadvantage in relation to foreign vendors," the Auditor General said. "According to the Department of Finance Canada, the situation could have encouraged domestic vendors to move their operations abroad and could have discouraged foreign investment in Canada."

The Canada Border Services Agency provided details in a May 10 Customs Notice on filing requirements for goods that are subject to the final safeguard tariffs on steel products (see 1904300218). The safeguards on heavy plate and stainless steel wire don't apply to goods from multiple countries, including the U.S., Korea, Chile, Columbia, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Israel. Canada also released a notice to importers on the tariff rate quotas.

Argentina is increasing its “statistical tax” on all imports for consumption and temporary imports, it said in a May 6 notice in the Argentine Official Bulletin. Effective May 7, the rate rose to 2.5 percent, up from 0.5 percent, the notice said. Similar to the U.S. Merchandise Processing Fee, the Argentina statistical tax, which is meant to cover the costs of administrative work around imports, is limited to maximum amounts based on the value of the imports. The May 6 notice sets those limits at $150 for imports up to $10,000; $2,500 for imports between $10,000 and $100,000; $25,000 for imports between $100,000 and $1,000,000; and $125,000 for all imports above $1,000,000.

Brazil recently added the capability for electronic phytosanitary certificates in its single window portal, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply said in a press release. Implemented April 26, the new capability allows exporters to receive electronic certificates and complete the requirements of several agencies in one place, the release said. The new system includes a verification code and online query page that permits the information on the certificates to be seen by importers before the cargo arrives at its destination, it said. The data is recorded directly in the Brazilian single window, and analyzed by the Agricultural Surveillance System of the Ministry of Agriculture before the certificates are issued. The data is also visible to other agencies, such as Brazilian Customs, the release said.

The Mexican Tax Administration Service issued a notice May 8 amending the country’s Foreign Trade Regulations. Changes include the addition and removal of tariff subheadings -- all involving textiles, apparel and footwear -- from several annexes that list goods subject to import permits, goods that are prohibited from transit, and goods that may be moved through certain ports, among other things, according to a Confederation of Mexican Customs Broker Associations (CAAAREM) circular posted by consultancy AJR Comercio Exterior. The notice also makes changes to requirements for Mexican customs brokers.