Brazil is eliminating tariffs on 281 products under its Ex-Tarifario regime, which provides reduced-rate treatment on certain foreign capital and information technology and telecommunications goods, according to an Aug. 12 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The additions to the list of eligible products include 261 capital goods and 20 IT and telecom goods, the report said. The tariffs will be reduced to duty-free until Dec. 21, 2021, HKT said.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Aug. 9 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

The Canada Border Services Agency added information about postponed effective dates for advance ruling decisions in an updated Memorandum D11-11-3. Also added were "situations where an advance ruling will not be issued and the request rejected," a "clarification on an advance ruling request for a conditional relief tariff item," and "new procedures for the exchange of information by email between the applicant or their agent and the CBSA," it said.

Argentina launched an antidumping duty investigation on Chinese knitted gloves made of 100 percent “textile materials, coated or covered (including partially) with latex or nitrile,” the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said in an Aug. 7 report. HKTDC said the investigation could lead to AD duties for a five-year period.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Aug. 7 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

Colombia made several changes to its customs measures to standardize guidance and help improve foreign trade, KPMG said in an Aug. 6 post. The changes, which took effect Aug. 2, strengthen provisions of the country’s Authorized Economic Operator regime, address consequences for failures to submit advance declarations and extend the time frame for clarifying inconsistencies in imported goods from 15 to 30 days, the post said. The changes are “intended to provide certainty and stability with regard to the customs regime,” KPMG said. The changes also include other measures, which are expected to be clarified in a regulatory guidance for implementation issued by the country’s tax authority, KPMG said.

Quebec is increasing the de minimis threshold for non-taxable imports from Mexico from $20 to $40 (in Canadian dollars), according to a July 31 report from KPMG. KPMG said the change is “related to the implementation” of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, but did not specify when the change would take effect.

Brazil suspended the implementation of a regulation relating to its “Ex-Tarifario list,” which allows for duty-free or reduced tariff treatment of certain imports in the information technology and telecommunications sectors that are not available domestically, according to an Aug.1 report by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The regulation was criticized by Brazil’s industry, which said it allows “the addition of used goods to the Ex-Tarifario list” and introduces new parameters for comparing “the equivalency of foreign and domestic goods, such as price and delivery times,” the report said.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of July 31 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

Canada appears unlikely to ratify the updated NAFTA before the fall, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on July 29, according to a CTV report. Canadian officials have said that country aims to move ratification in tandem with the other NAFTA countries (see 1906140047) and the U.S. House of Representatives recently recessed. That will make it tougher for Canada to move forward ahead of its Oct. 21 election. "We of course benefit right now from the existing NAFTA that ensures that Canadians are well-served with good and reliable access to the North American market," Trudeau said. "But we also look forward to ratification of the new NAFTA, but we will do that in line with the American process when it picks up again this fall."