The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Dec. 31 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru recently agreed to unified labeling requirements for certain apparel, textiles, footwear, leather and travel goods to ease compliance with labeling regulations for exporters in Hong Kong, China and elsewhere, according to a Dec. 31 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The new labeling requirements will take effect for footwear, leather and travel goods in November and for apparel in May 2021, the report said. The apparel labeling regulations require “product composition, care instructions and country of origin” to be placed on a “permanent label.” The labels for footwear, leather and travel goods must also contain certain materials disclosures, the report said.
Argentina recently introduced a package of tax reform measures that contains one measure that will impact multinational exporters doing business with the country, KPMG said in a Dec. 27 post. The change will increase “withholding rates applicable to” agricultural exports. Companies may need to take “immediate action” to respond to the new measures, which took effect Dec. 23, 2019, KPMG said.
The Dominican Republic issued a guidance for upcoming regulations that aim to streamline the country’s exporting process, according to a Dec. 27 KPMG post. The regulations, which take effect Jan. 8, establish a single customs declaration for all exports shipped from a customs territory, except for merchandise exported by air and valued less than $200, KPMG said. A single declaration cannot contain merchandise “destined for different customs regimes,” KPMG said, and provides the exporter 20 days to follow through with the export. The guidance also established a “tolerance limit,” which “allows” the customs authority not to reject a shipment for undeclared goods or for an inaccurate valuation. This only applies if the “difference found does not exceed” 10 percent of the “declared merchandise value,” KPMG said, although penalties may be imposed on the exporter.
Recent editions of Mexico's Diario Oficial list trade-related notices as follows:
Recent editions of Mexico's Diario Oficial list trade-related notices as follows:
Colombia is extending “high” duties on footwear for one year, until December 2020, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said in a Dec. 23 report. The measure imposes a 35 percent duty rate on certain footwear products with a freight-on-board price equal to or lower than $6, $7 or $10 per pair for certain footwear items, the report said. Goods with a “price higher than the applicable threshold” are subject to the regular 15 percent Most Favored Nation duty rate. Footwear imports from countries with a free trade agreement with Colombia are exempt from this special duty arrangement.
The Canada Border Services Agency will continue its evaluation of a policy that allows cargo trucks to return to the U.S. in order to meet Advance Commercial Information requirements, it said in a customs notice. The policy “exists for drivers in the highway mode who arrive at a Canadian border” without ACI and allows the drivers to go back to the U.S. “to properly report cargo information in order to meet ACI regulatory requirements and avoid penalties.” The agency is “extending the evaluation period for the turnaround policy until midnight June 30, 2020,” it said.
Recent editions of Mexico's Diario Oficial list trade-related notices as follows:
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Dec. 20 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):