The United Kingdom on Oct. 8 published a draft of the tariff schedule and tables of tariff rate quotas that will take effect Oct. 31 if the U.K. leaves the European Union with no transition deal in place. “These documents are drafts. Final versions will be uploaded with the legislation, which is subject to Parliamentary approval,” the U.K.’s HM Revenue & Customs said. The U.K. also updated its guidance on non-preferential, most favored nation rates of duty after a no-deal Brexit. “If your goods are not listed on this page, you will not have to pay customs duty (tariff) when importing them into the UK,” the updated guidance says.
Recent editions of Mexico's Diario Oficial list trade-related notices as follows:
Mexico is increasing tariffs and creating new tariff schedule provisions for iron and steel products, according to a notice in the Sept. 20 Diario Oficial. The country is creating 82 new tariff subheadings to identify different types of iron and steel, modifying 25 subheadings and eliminating 21, all to improve monitoring required under the agreement to end U.S. Section 232 tariffs on Mexico. Mexico is also increasing tariffs to 15 percent for more than 200 subheadings covering iron and steel products that were previously dutiable at 3 percent to 5 percent, and is modifying the text of 22 other subheadings and increasing the applicable tariff rate to 15 percent, said a Mexican Confederation of Customs Broker Associations (CAAAREM) circular posted by the consultancy AJR Mexico. Rates will be decreased every two years by 5 percent, so duties on these subheadings will fall to 10 percent in 2021 and to 5 percent in 2023 before being eliminated entirely in 2024. Mexico is also increasing tariffs on other tariff subheadings for iron and steel products, and adding iron and steel products to maquiladora and sectoral promotion programs. The changes took effect Sept. 22.
The Mexican Secretariat of Economy recently issued instructions for entering samples into Mexico for the purpose of obtaining a certificate of compliance with Mexican product standards, according to a recent circular issued by the Mexican Confederation of Customs Broker Associations (CAAAREM), as posted by consultancy AJR Comercio Exterior. Importers should declare the samples under Mexican tariff subheading 9906.00.01, and attach to the entry an electronic document issued by the relevant certification body that says the samples are being imported for the purposes of certification with a Mexican product standard, the circular said. A maximum of three samples may be imported for this purpose, or in some cases the number of samples stated in the relevant product standard. Under recently issued regulations, certain goods may not be imported into Mexico without a certificate of compliance at the time of entry stating it complies with Mexican product standards.
U.S. industry representatives criticized China’s Aug. 23 decision to impose retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. and called for the two sides to quickly reach a trade deal. The latest Chinese tariffs could lock U.S. companies out of China for “many years,” said Doug Barry, spokesman for the U.S.-China Business Council. Barry said U.S. companies are worried that China is finding other suppliers as the trade war continues, and the latest measures may only speed up the process. “More worrisome is the signal to everyone, everywhere, that the trade conflict is getting worse, not better,” Barry said. “So let’s not invest and let’s not buy.”
Canada will allow remission of customs duties paid on tires that qualify under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership treatment, it said in a notice in the Canada Gazette, Part II. Remission will be allowed for goods classified in subheading 4011.90.90, which covers certain types of tires. "The remission is granted on the condition that the importer makes a claim for remission to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness within two years after the date of importation," it said.
The Canada Border Services Agency issued a notice detailing duty eliminations and reductions in the Canadian Customs Tariff under the Canada-Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Both sets of changes took effect Aug. 8. The notice says remission will be granted on goods imported under subheading 4011.90.90, which is now duty-free under CPTPP, for which CPTPP treatment is claimed and that were imported Dec. 30, 2018, through Aug. 7, 2018, “provided the importer makes a claim for remission within two years after the date of importation.”
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 8-12 in case they were missed.
The Commerce Department posted an updated version of its "Foreign Retaliation Product Scope Matrix" that lists U.S. goods that are included in various countries' retaliatory tariffs. The list includes the affected subheadings and which country's tariffs include the subheadings. The list includes the retaliatory measures by China, the EU, India, Turkey and Russia.
The Census Bureau updated the Automated Export System (AES) with changes to the Schedule B, Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), and HTS Codes that are not valid for AES tables, the agency said in a July 5 email. The changes, which are "effective immediately," reflect the HTS update from July 1. "AES will accept shipments with outdated codes during a grace period for 30 days beyond the expiration date of June 30, 2019," the agency said. "Reporting an outdated code after the 30-day grace period will result in a fatal error."