In the August 31, 2010 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union, the following trade-related notices were posted:

Mexico's Diarios Oficial of August 27 and 30, 2010 list notices from the Secretary of the Economy that appear to affect international trade, as follows:

The World Customs Organization reported on August 27, 2010 that Kenyan Customs officers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport intercepted 2160 kg of elephant tusks and five pieces of rhino horn on August 22, 2010. According to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the shipment of 12 wooden boxes was declared to Customs as fresh avocados heading to Malaysia. The WCO release also details the sharp rise in ivory seizures by Customs administrations in other countries worldwide.

On September 1, 2010, the European Commissioner for Taxation, Customs Union, Anti-Fraud and Audit will open a conference on exploring ways to enhance further customs cooperation between the EU and China. Securing the supply chain, smuggling (particularly of cigarettes) and protecting intellectual property rights will be high on the agenda. A question and answer document on EU-China customs cooperation is available here.

GOV.cn reported on August 29, 2010 that Commerce Minister Chen Deming is defending China's policy on rare earth export control, stating that it will assist in protecting the environment. "Mass-extraction of rare earth will cause great damage to the environment, that's why China has tightened controls over rare earth production, exploration and trade, " Chen told media during the third China-Japan high-level economic dialogue. He added that what China had done was also consistent with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Canada's Minister of International Trade Van Loan announced on August 28, 2010 that Canada and Costa Rica have agreed to work toward modernizing their existing bilateral free trade agreement. Minister Van Loan made the announcement following his meeting with the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Minister, Anabel Gonzalez. An updated free trade agreement could lower tariffs on goods and remove trade barriers in a broad range of sectors. It could also expand market access for cross-border trade in services, financial services, electronic commerce, telecommunications and investment, as well as secure access to the government procurement market.

The Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated on August 30, 2010 that a newly-released review of Panel working methods could strengthen its efforts, as well as its public credibility, while stressing that the overall conclusions of its assessments were not in doubt. “Science has confirmed that climate change is real,” Rajendra Pachauri stated immediately following the release of a report by the InterAcademy Council, "Climate Change Assessments: Review of the Processes and Procedures of the IPCC,” the seventh this year on various aspects of climate science. The governments that form the IPCC would carefully review the InterAcademy Council recommendations at a plenary in October, Pachauri said, emphasizing that those Governments would decide on what actions to take.

The European Commission has announced that a new agreement governing the wine trade between Australia and the European Union enters into force on September 1, 2010, replacing the agreement signed in 1994. According to the EC, the new agreement safeguards the EU's wine labeling regime, gives full protection to EU geographical indications, including for wines intended for export to third countries, and includes a clear Australian commitment to protect EU traditional expressions. It also provides for the phasing out of the use of a number of important EU names such as Champagne and Port on Australian wines within a year of the agreement coming into force.

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal has decided to consider on September 21, 2010, an appeal of the classification of X2118 TL Extrudate, X3100 TL Extrudate and X3110C TL. Criterion Catalysts & Technologies Canada Inc. argue that the proper classification is under 3815.90.90 as reaction initiators, reaction accelerators and catalytic preparations, not elsewhere specified or included, other than supported catalysts. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) states the proper classification is under 3824.90.10 as certain oxide preparations or under 3815.19.10 as certain supported catalysts.

The Vice-President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton is in China the week of August 30-September 4, 2010 to attend the first ever EU-China High Level "Partnership" Dialogue, which is designed to address issues of concern and mutual interest through constructive engagement at the highest level.