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| Changes to CFIA Food Sector Import Notification Requirements | 
In Importers are reminded that phase 8 implementation of the changes to import notification requirements for products in the non-federally registered food sector are in effect as of February 27, 2012.
Annex 1 of the Notice to Importers and Brokers - Phase 8 on the CFIA website has been updated to include the OGD extension codes for the commodities relevant to this phase. | |
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| First Issue of CBP Textile and Quota Newsletter |  | |
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has begun publishing a newsletter on textile and quota issues for agency officers as well as the trade community.
The first issue of this newsletter can be downloaded from our website and includes article providing basic information on certificates of quota eligibility for sugar, tariff-rate quotas and proration, tariff preference levels and duty-freep references for textiles and apparel, free trade agreements and preference programs, and changes to 2012 Harmonized Tariff Schedule provisions on sugar
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Amendment 11 to the Energy Efficiency Regulations |  | |
Amendment 11 to the Energy Efficiency Regulations will come into force on April 12, 2012.
Amendment 11 will introduce new minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and associated reporting and compliance requirements for five new products:
a) standby for electronic products;
i. compact audio products;
ii. television (TV) and TV combination units (and reporting only of TV on mode);
iii. video products; b) external power supplies;
c. digital TV adaptors;
d. electric boilers;
e. single package vertical air-conditioners and heat pumps.
Amendment 11 will also expand the scope of some products such as electric motors, dry-type transformers and large air conditioners.
These products will have to be pre-registered with Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) in advance of importation and the following five
data elements will have to be provided in order to obtain release:
1. name of product;
2. model number;
3. brand name, if any;
4. address of the dealer who is importing the product; and
5. purpose of the importation (for sale or lease in Canada without modification, for sale or lease after being modified to comply, or for use as a component in any
other product to be exported from Canada).
The Energy Efficiency Regulations apply to dealers who import regulated energy-using products into Canada for sale or lease;and, companies that ship regulated energy-using products that are manufactured in one Canadian province to another for sale or lease.
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Canada Calls for End to Restrictions Imposed by M-COOL |  | |
Canada's Agriculture Minister says ending the restrictions imposed by U.S. Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling would benefit livestock producers on both side of the Canada-U.S. border.
Last November a World Trade Organization panel investigating complaints from Canada and Mexico ruled U.S. Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling is inconsistent with U.S. trade obligations. The U.S. has until March 23rd to appeal that ruling.
M-COOL was discussed last week when Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz met with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack as part of an agricultural trade mission to Washington, DC.
Ritz says the labelling law has negatively impacted not only agriculture but the economies of the two countries as well.
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ECHA Launches the Classification and Labelling Inventory of Chemicals on the EU
Market |  | |
Earlier this month, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) launched the
Public Classification and Labelling (C&L) Inventory
with the information
coming from REACH registrations and CLP notifications so far received by the Agency.
The Public C&L Inventory represents the largest database of self-classified substances available globally. A number of options are available for searching the Inventory, based on both the substance identity and its classification.
"With this increased transparency, we are contributing to a more effective communication on the hazardous chemicals to workers and ultimately to consumers" said Geert Dancet, Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency. He also encouraged Industry to use the Inventory data as a common ground for discussions between companies to reach agreement on the self-classification and labelling of hazardous substances.
The Inventory is maintained by the ECHA and the data will be refreshed on a regular basis with incoming and updated C&L information.
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Deadline For 100% Screening of Cargo Containers Doubtful |  | |
US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) have not shown they can meet 100% screening of cargo containers, as required by the 9/11 Act, according to Stephen Caldwell Director,
Homeland Security and Justice for the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).
"Uncertainty persists over how DHS and CBP will fulfill the mandate for 100% scanning, given that the feasibility remains unproven in light of the challenges CBP has faced implementing a pilot program," Caldwell said in a statement to the House Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security.
Challenges encountered at participating ports included safety concerns, logistical problems with containers transferred from rail or other vessels, scanning equipment breakdowns and poor-quality scan images.
DHS is expected to grant a blanket extension to all foreign ports to July 2014.
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Canadian Ports Refute U.S. Allegations of Unfair Subsidies |  | |
Canadian port authorities are calling on the US government not to impose penalties on the country's container ports, according to recent news reports.
The Federal Maritime Commission in the US decided late last year to launch a study into possible unfair practices by Ottawa for its container ports, raising fears of a damaging trade war.
Richard Lidinsky, the chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), said he would be proposing a study on whether Canadian and Mexican ports are benefiting from unfair subsidization, following a request for an investigation by two US senators from Washington state.
The senators wanted an investigation of alleged "diversions" of US-bound, Asia-origin cargo through Canada, brought into United States via Canadian rail services.
Some of the issues to be investigated include the Harbour Maintenance Tax, which isn't in place in Canada, as well as rail service rates and infrastructure funding.
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U.S. Agrees to Quit Zeroing, Avoids EU and Japan Retaliation |  | |
The United States, on 6 February, signed roadmap agreements with the
European Union and Japan on ending its controversial "zeroing" method to
calculate anti-dumping duties. The deal was announced only days before
WTO arbitrators were scheduled to examine the EU's and Japan's request on
retaliating against Washington for its failure to comply with WTO rulings
that had deemed the use of zeroing illegal. Though the U.S.' agreements are formally limited to the two trading giants, the changes are also set to affect other countries.
With the bilateral understandings, the U.S. commits itself to forego the
use of zeroing in future administrative reviews of anti-dumping investigations. The Department of Commerce will soon begin applying the new methodology.
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Food Safety Modernization Act Updates |  | |
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an interim final rule (IFR) and draft guidance for industry amending FDA's existing regulation on
maintaining records about sources and recipients of
food (FSMA Section 101).
FDA also published an update to its Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Establishment and Maintenance of Records (Edition 4),to ensure the
guidance is consistent with the FSMA requirements.
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USDA Improves Phytosanitary Certificate System for Agriculture Exporters |  | |
The Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has made several improvements to its Phytosanitary Certificate and Issuance Tracking system. PCIT was created in 2005 to automate the issuance of phytosanitary certificates for agricultural commodities exported to foreign countries. In fiscal year 2011, APHIS and state and county governments issued more than 530,000 export certificates for individuals and businesses through the PCIT system.
APHIS states that in the coming months PCIT will begin automatically transferring phytosanitary certificates to foreign countries receiving U.S. exports, reducing previous delays associated with paperwork verification. In addition, APHIS is expanding the availability of user-printed phytosanitary certificates, eliminating the need for users to pay for shipped documents.
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| GHY E-Newsletter #24 | March 2012 |
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GHY International wishes to thank our clients, associates, and coaches for their contribution to our re-qualification for the fourth consecutive year as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies - enabling us to be the only Gold Standard Level certified provider of exclusive customs brokerage services in North America.
We thank our clients for their continued confidence in GHY International and the service we provide. It is their needs that shape our endeavors and we thank them for the opportunity to serve them each day.
Thanks to our associates who consistently deliver outstanding service to our clients. It is their dedication to our clients that makes the difference each and every day.
Many thanks to our coaches from Deloitte & CIBC for offering us guidance and feedback to ensure we are delivering on our mission to our customers, associates, and our community.
"We are honored to have received this designation, which is a mark of excellence recognizing companies that understand how to innovate and adopt best practices for the benefit of their customers. GHY earned the Gold Standard designation thanks to the loyalty of our valued customers, and the commitment of our associates.
We are committed to the relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation in all areas of our business, and grateful for the opportunity to serve our clients, and provide our associates rewarding careers." -- Richard C. Riess, President, GHY International
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Minister Fast Highlights Successes of Canadian Trade Mission to China
Agreements signed will take the Canada-China trade and economic relationship to the next level
International Trade Minister Ed Fast highlighted last week the recent accomplishments of his visit to China, which was led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
"I have just returned from an extremely successful trade mission to China," Fast told a business group in Vancouver. "The agreements reached on this highly productive mission will take the Canada-China trade and economic relationship to the next level, as well as create jobs and prosperity for hardworking Canadians here at home."
During the visit to China, Prime Minister Harper and China's Premier Wen Jiabao witnessed the signing of new joint initiatives between the two countries, as well as the renewal of existing ones, in the areas of energy, the sustainable development of natural resources, education, science and technology, and agriculture.
One of the key announcements made during the visit concerned the conclusion of negotiations toward a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement (FIPA) between Canada and China. Minister Fast and his Chinese counterpart, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming, signed the Declaration of Intent for the FIPA during the visit. The agreement will contribute to jobs and growth by facilitating trade and investment flows between Canada and China. It will provide a more stable and secure environment for investors on both sides of the Pacific.
Other important announcements made during the Prime Minister's visit to China that will strengthen the Canada-China commercial relationship include:
* The Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Development of Natural Resources, which will provide a platform to promote Canadian expertise, technologies and services in that area;
*The renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Cooperation, which will attract capital investment and improve access to Chinese markets for Canada's energy resources, technology and related services;
* Initiatives on agriculture that clear the way for access to the lucrative Chinese beef tallow market, for joint research that will aim to create a stable trading environment for Canadian canola seed in China and for additional collaboration to resolve agricultural market-access issues of mutual interest;
* The statement of intent to launch two new calls for proposals for joint research and development projects under the Canada-China Framework Agreement for Cooperation on Science, Technology and Innovation, as well as the announcement of results for a previous call for project proposals; and
* The successful completion of negotiations between Canada and China on an agreement that will facilitate increased exports of Canadian uranium to China.
During the visit to China, Prime Minister Harper and China's President Hu Jintao also agreed that, following the completion of a bilateral economic complementarities study in May 2012, Canada and China will proceed to exploratory discussions on deepening trade and economic relations.
Canadian merchandise trade exports to China grew by 26.9 percent in 2011 and totalled almost $17 billion. Imports from China totalled $48.1 billion, an increase of 8.1 percent over 2010. China is one of the world's fastest-growing major economies and is now Canada's second-largest individual merchandise trading partner. Canadian investment in China reached its highest level ever at the end of 2010, standing at almost $5 billion, an increase of 38 percent over 2009. Chinese foreign direct investment in Canada increased by almost 10
percent in the same period, reaching $14.1 billion in 2010. |
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Beyond the Border Update
Regulatory Cooperation Council Meets in Washington
The Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council held its first meeting in Washington. Members discussed the development of a joint action plan, which will outline work that will be done in the short and long-term to align regulatory approaches in a range of sectors for Canada and the United States. The Council  also discussed ongoing engagement of stakeholders, establishment of joint Canada-US working groups in priority areas, and broad timelines for the two-year initiative.
The day-long Jan. 31 meeting covered everything from agriculture and food to pharmaceuticals, veterinary drugs, emission standards, transportation, nanotechnology, disease, vehicle safety standards, and occupational safety issues. The Canadian Council of Chief Executives, which sent its vice president of policy, international, and fiscal issues Sam Boutziouvis to the meetings, was impressed by the turnout of the US private sector for the working group sessions.
Members agreed to the Terms of Reference for the Regulatory Cooperation Council, which establishes the mandate and principles for this initiative.
The Regulatory Cooperation Council was announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama to simplify and align regulations between our two countries. Aligning our regulatory approaches would lead to lower costs for business and consumers, increased trade and investment, and ultimately to more jobs on both sides of the border.
The next meeting will be held during the month of July.
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Obama's 2013 Budget: Agency Highlights
The blueprint for the fiscal 2013 budget released earlier this month by the Obama administration provides $39.5 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, a decrease of 5.4 percent or $191 million to be achieved through cuts in administrative costs and the elimination of duplicative programs.
Funds and staffing at the northern and southern borders and the ports of entries would remain the same under the budget, however proposed outlays for the CBP's Automation Modernization account - which includes the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and Critical Operations Protection and Processing Support (COPPS) would decrease by $82 million to $309 million.
The proposed budget would fund cyber-security efforts by providing $769 million to improve security of federal civilian information technology networks while enhancing outreach to state and local governments and critical infrastructure sectors. It slated $650 million to fund research and development advances in cyber-security, explosives detection, and chemical/biological response systems.
As part of a 15.6 percent increase to the Department of Commerce budget, the president is calling for spending $517 million on the International Trade Administration to promote U.S. exports in key markets abroad and to improve trade enforcement. The administration would also increase funds for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to accelerate patent processing and improve patent quality.
The administration is proposing a $100 departure fee for airlines,
business jets and other aircraft to help cover the costs of federal air traffic control. The new fee would raise $7.4 billion over 10 years, the administration estimates. The budget also proposes to cut guaranteed grant funding for medium and large airports by $926 million in 2013 to $2.4 billion. Instead, airports would be permitted flexibility to increase certain ticket charges to raise revenue on their own for airport construction projects.
Obama's proposed transportation budget includes a six-year, $476-billion surface transportation bill, a significant reduction from the bill the president proposed last year, but an amount still far exceeding the spending called for under transportation bills in the House and Senate, where lawmakers have struggled to find money to pay for highway and transit projects. The House bill would spend $260 billion over 4½ years; the Senate $109 billion over less than two years.
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EU and U.S. Agree to Historic New Partnership on Organic Trade
The European Union and the United States announced Feb. 15 that beginning June 1, 2012, organic products certified in Europe or in the United States may be sold as organic in either region. This partnership between the two largest organic-producers in the world will establish a strong foundation from which to promote organic agriculture, benefiting the growing organic industry and supporting jobs and businesses on a global scale, the EC press service announced.
The organics sector in the United States and European Union is valued at roughly €40 billion combined, and rising every year.
"This agreement comes with a double added value. On the one hand, organic farmers and food producers will benefit from easier access, with less bureaucracy and less costs, to both the U.S. and the EU markets, strengthening the competitiveness of this sector. In addition, it improves transparency on organic standards, and enhances consumers' confidence and recognition of our organic food and products," stated the EU Commissioner responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Ciolos. "This partnership marks an important step, taking EU-U.S. agricultural trade relations to a new level of cooperation"
Previously, growers and companies wanting to trade products on both sides of the Atlantic had to obtain separate certifications to two standards, which meant a double set of fees, inspections, and paperwork. This partnership eliminates significant barriers, especially for small and medium-sized organic producers. All products meeting the terms of the partnership can be traded and labeled as certified organic produce, meat, cereal, or wine.
All products traded under the partnership must be shipped with an organic export certificate. This document will show the production location, identify the organization that certified the organic product, verify that prohibited substances and methods weren't used, certify that the terms of the partnership were met, and allow traded products to be tracked.
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CBP Issues Updated Bonded Warehouse Manual
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently announced the release of the updated Bonded Warehouse Manual for Customs and Border Protection Officers and bonded Warehouse Proprietors. Bonded Warehouses provide storage facilities for imported cargo that is pending importation into or exportation from the United States. The Bonded Warehouse Manual was last updated in 1990.
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The Bonded Warehouse Manual was developed by CBP to serve as a comprehensive guide to understanding bonded warehouse operations. The publication brings together many different references into one document including laws, regulations, other agency issuances, and rulings dealing with bonded warehouses.
The majority of the manual deals with bonded warehouse operations and procedures, however, information is included regarding centralized examination stations and container freight stations
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Canada, India Conclude Latest FTA Talks
Canada and India hope to complete negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in 2013, ministers said, as the latest round of trade talks concluded.
The two countries held the fourth round of trade negotiations in Delhi from February 13-16, with International Trade Minister Ed Fast and Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), welcoming the news.
Gosal highlighted the importance of the trade talks at Brar Sweets, a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) in Brampton, Ontario. It is businesses such as this that government says will benefit from  deeper trade and investment ties with India. The Minister also held a pre-Budget consultation and reiterated the Harper govern-ment's commitment to deepening Canada's trade ties in high-growth markets around the world.
Satish Thakkar, president of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), commented, "The successful conclusion of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement would lead to more opportunities for Canadian SMEs to enhance their engagement with India."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India announced the start of free trade negotiations during the G-20 Summit in Seoul in November 2010. The joint announcement and visit to India by Prime Minister Harper in 2009 underscore the dedication of both countries to meeting a mutual goal of tripling bilateral trade to $15 billion annually by 2015.
According to a Canada-India joint study, a trade agreement could boost Canada's economy by at least $6 billion. The Canadian government says that the deal will eliminate or reduce tariffs on goods, liberalize trade in services and directly reward Canadian businesses and workers in all regions of Canada. In particular, sectors including primary agriculture, resource-related and chemical products, transport equipment, and machinery and equipment, will feel the benefit.
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CBP Proposal Aims at Better Tracking and Enforcement of In-Bond Shipments
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proposing various changes to its in-bond regulations to meet the realities of today's real-time shipping environment and enhance CBP's ability to regulate and track in-bond merchandise. These changes are in response to a Government Accountability Office report identifying various weaknesses in the in-bond process.
Comments on this proposal (click here to download from our website) are due no later than April 23.
It should be noted that CBP is not proposing to amend the in-bond procedures found in the air commerce regulations at this time, except to revise certain time periods to conform to the proposed rule.
Electronic Application
The paper in-bond application (CBP Form 7512) would be eliminated, except for merchandise transported by pipeline, and carriers or their agents would instead be required to file the in-bond application electronically through the Automated Commercial Environment. CBP states that the paper-based system impedes risk management and makes it difficult to target and detect violators.
More Information Required
To better ascertain whether in-bond merchandise presents any health,safety or conservation issues, and to provide immediate feedback to carriers on whether their cargo will require additional inspection and screening, CBP is proposing to require the following additional information on the in-bond application.
* six-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule number, if available; if not, a detailed description providing the exact nature of the merchandise in sufficient detail to allow CBP and/or another government agency to determine if the merchandise is subject to a rule, regulation, law, standard or ban relating to health, safety or conservation.
* identification of merchandise that is prohibited or subject to restricted importation
* the visa, permit, license or other similar number or identifying information related to the merchandise if it has been issued by the U.S. government, a foreign government or some other issuing authority
* the number and seal number of the container in which the merchandise is to be transported in-bond.
Other Proposed Changes
The new rule would establish a 30-day maximum time from the date CBP authorizes the in-bond movement to transport in-bond merchandise between U.S. ports. CBP is also proposing to require in-bond carriers and other applicable parties to electronically request permission from CBP prior to diverting imported merchandise to another port.
To allow for better tracking, CBP proposes to require the delivering carrier to electronically report the arrival of each in-bond shipment within 24 hours of its arrival at the port of destination or port of export. In the case of Immediate Export (IE) entries, CBP is proposing to require that shipments arriving at a U.S. port by truck, for which an IE entry is presented as the sole means of entry, will be denied a permit to proceed and that the truck may be turned back or allowed to file a new entry.
Finally, the CBP is proposing to remove the underutilized and obsolete options for sealing conveyances that are no longer commercially necessary or operationally feasible and to establish new requirements regarding the sealing of conveyances. |
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Delayed Implementation of New Mechanical Seal Standard for Cargo Containers
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) informed members of the
Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) Feb. 15 that
implementation of the updated International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) mechanical seal standard will not be viable by
March 1 as previously announced.
 CBP has learned that the tamper evidence element (clause 6) of the new standard (ISO 17712:2010) cannot be met and that to date no accredited independent laboratories have been willing to test and certify seals as complying with this requirement. While the ISO is working to resolve this issue, implementation of the new standard will be delayed until CBP receives definitive information that this has been accomplished.
CBP notes that since the ISO 17712: 2010 (18 mm) certification for
high-security seals is attainable without the clause 6 testing portion of the standard, C-TPAT partners are encouraged to buy seals that meet this part of the standard. If they do so, however, they should request documentation to confirm that the purchased seals comply with the current testing requirements for ISO 17712: 2010 (18 mm) certification.
Note: This same message was communicated by the CBSA to Partners in Protection participants. |
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Canada Concludes Second Round of Talks to Expand FTA with Costa Rica
International Trade Minister Ed Fast recently announced the successful conclusion of a second round of negotiations to modernize the Canada-Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement. The talks took place February 6 to 10 in San José, Costa Rica. A third round is scheduled for April 2012.
The original agreement entered into force in 2002 but did not include provisions in areas  such as cross-border trade in services, financial services, investment and government procurement. An expanded agreement would create greater opportunities for Canadian businesses in many sectors, including construction, manufacturing, financial services and telecommunications.
Costa Rica has been Canada's largest trading partner in Central America since 2002, accounting for $450 million in two-way trade or 31% of Canada's overall merchandise trade with the region in 2010. The main categories of Canadian exports to Costa Rica in 2010 were paper and paperboard, cereals and machinery.
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CBSA and Industry Identify Five Key Cross-Border Issues Regarding Goods Regulated by Other Government Departments (OGDs)
The CBSA Single Window Initiative (SWI) began consultations with industry groups in November 2010 by establishing the OGD SWI - Industry Working Group, comprised of representatives of the Trade community identified through the Border Commercial Consultative Committee (BCCC). The purpose of this consultation group was to discuss and gather information that will assist with the development of the SWI.
The goals for the SWI- Industry Working Group were to:
 * Identify solutions to simply and eliminate redundancies at the border for regulated goods (i.e., elimination of paper).
* Validate data needs for OGDs
* Develop standards for commodity identification
* Quantify from trade perspective direct cost benefits/savings related to eliminating paper processes for regulated goods at the border.
The questionnaire was distributed to various industry organizations across Canada and completed responses received from different industry sectors including couriers, transportation, importers, brokers and specific import sectors. The following is a summary of key issues that have been brought forward by industry through consultations and in response to the CBSA SWI questionnaire. Five main issues were consistently identified as listed below.
1. Clarity of terms and requirements
Requirements need to be more clearly identified, particularly with respect to determining when and if an OGD requirement exists. Stakeholders have unanimously expressed concern about being unable to verify whether a shipment requires permits, licenses or certificates. This leads to uncertainty with respect to compliance and is a major issue for industry. In addition, the same terms are often defined differently by CBSA and OGDs. This can lead to confusion and errors in the data provided by Industry. Various terms need to be synchronized with CBSA programs and other government department legislation. One example provided by CPMA: Importer of record means "delivery address" to CFIA and "responsible party" to CBSA. 2. Redundant processes
The requirement to send faxed copies of permits to OGDs (particularly CFIA) for release has been identified as time consuming and redundant. For example, a copy of a 6 month CFIA import permit is required to be sent to CFIA for every shipment and the permit number entered in the EDI transmission as well. Trade would like to be able to provide the permit number to the OGDs, and have the OGD access the permit information in their system, since they issued the original permit. The majority of redundancies identified, involve providing the same data to multiple OGDs as well as CBSA, sometimes multiple times during the import process. 3. Timing/location of examinations
There are concerns about the cost / delays associated with examinations/inspections. Importers are particularly concerned about the number of times a refrigerated container is opened, causing damage to perishable products such as produce, meat, seafood etc. The timing and location of these examinations needs to be further discussed, as well as whether the inspections are being performed by CBSA, CFIA or both. CBSA -SWI is working with Trade to quantify the cost (losses) due to examination/ inspections of refrigerated containers.
4. Cost/complexity associated with OGD regulated goods
Stakeholders have identified that there are much higher costs associated with processing OGD regulated goods than non-regulated goods. Specifically, CCLA has calculated that on average, the cost for a courier to process regulated goods is 3-7 times the cost of a regular shipment because of the paper process. 5. Consistency across the ports
Requirements and processes are inconsistent at different ports across the country. Concerns have been raised regarding the inconsistent and unpredictable fees for unloading marine containers for inspection. In addition, some ports might still require a paper permit while others accept electronic submissions. Going Forward These findings were discussed by the Border Commercial Consultative Committee at meetings in Washington on February 2. Included were presentations from leaders in the Trade community which outlined OGD challenges faced by Trade, and key considerations for CBSA and OGDs from a Trade perspective. Representatives from four OGDs (DFAIT, Health Canada, CFIA and Transport Canada) also presented, discussing their border requirements, collaboration with Trade and CBSA, and their medium to long term vision. The CBSA presented the long-term border vision and the linkages between eManifest, SWI and Trusted Trader programs. The CBSA is also participating in a Government-wide initiative aimed at reducing the red tape burden on Canadian businesses. Through public consultations, the Red Tape Reduction Commission has identified 2,300 irritants as well as suggested improvements for those irritants.
The CBSA has identified that eight of the irritants are directly linked to the importation of regulated goods. These included many of the same issues identified by feedback from the trade community regarding the difficulty identifying products that are subject to regulatory requirements, as well as the lack of access to clear information about those requirements and the need for an easily accessible, single source of OGD-related information (i.e. creation of an automated reference system).
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Finding time to follow the latest international trade developments and programs of Customs agencies on both sides of the border relevant to your business can be challenging, so we hope you find this issue of our Tradelines e-newsletter to be a helpful resource in this respect. As always, we'd greatly appreciate any opinions, comments and suggestions you may have to help us improve this information resource, so please don't hesitate to let us know what you think. If you haven't already, we'd like to take this opportunity to invite you to check out our Tradelines E-News weblog where you can find current stories updated daily about business events and developments that are important to Canadian importers and exporters.
If you would like to keep up to date on the latest developments in trade compliance and trade compliance strategies, please check out our Trade Compliance weblog.
Sign up for our RSS feed and get automatic updates to your favourite reader as soon as they're posted. As well, you can follow any of the links below for the latest information, updates and links to articles of interest. |
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