The World Trade Organization announces that the Committee on Trade and Development has approved a proposal by Brazil, China, India and the U.S. to establish a transparency mechanism for preferential trade arrangements. India, Brazil and China reported on their programs to provide duty-free, quota-free market access to least-developed countries. The proposal is to be transmitted to the General Council for adoption.
On September 20, 2010, the President of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) made a final determination of dumping on greenhouse bell peppers originating in or exported from the Netherlands that are usually classified under Harmonized System classification number: 0709.60.90.10.
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal will hold a public hearing on October 28, 2010 to consider the appeal, Wolseley Canada Inc. v. President of the Canada Border Services Agency, on whether boilers, model G234X, which are classified under tariff item No. 8403.10.00, are entitled to the benefits of tariff item No. 9948.00.00 as articles for use in process control apparatus, excluding sensors, which converts analog signals from or to digital signals.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a summary of Plant Health Import Requirements for Temperate Fresh Fruit Approved for Entry into Canada.
Mexico's Diario Oficial of October 5, 2010 lists notices from the Secretary of the Economy as follows:
The European Union and Vietnam signed an aviation agreement on October 4, 2010 to remove nationality restrictions in the bilateral air services agreements between EU Member States and Vietnam. The agreement will allow any EU airline to operate flights between any EU Member State and Vietnam, where a bilateral agreement exists and traffic rights are available.
In the October 2 and October 5, 2010 editions of the Official Journal of the European Union, the following trade-related notices were posted:
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission will hold a fifth review session for its 2010 Annual Report from October 12-14, 2010. These sessions are open to the public.
The Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) announces that in a visit to the ASEAN Secretariat, a delegation from the Office of Thailand Trade Representative stated that the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) has enabled the ASEAN-6 -- Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- to import and export almost all goods across their borders at no tariff. The representative stated that the entry into force of AFTA is one of ASEAN’s tangible achievements in the economic front this year, taking the region one step closer to building an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/15/10 news, 10011599 #6, for BP summary of the AFTA's entry into force on January 1, 2010.)
The World Customs Organization has issued a press release announcing that a transnational operation coordinated by the WCO and INTERPOL targeting organized criminal counterfeiting networks across 13 countries in South America has resulted in more than 600 arrests and the seizure of fake goods worth $50 million U.S. dollars.