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

Colombia introduced a new special import declaration requirement relating to free zones, according to a Feb. 5 KPMG report. The change, which was announced Jan. 28, relates to import declarations for imports from “special permanent” or “permanent free zones” to Colombia’s national customs territory, the post said. The declarations must be submitted on a certain form on the last calendar day of each month, KPMG said, and must contain certain information, including the use of “Code 99999999999 as a subheading, regardless of whether the merchandise may correspond to different subheadings, provided that they all have the same value added tax (VAT) rate.” The declarations must also be submitted through the “electronic computer services” of Colombia’s tax and customs authority, KPMG said, and free zone operators must submit information about the movement of goods “that have actually left the free zone.” The importer must pay customs duties within the first five days of the following month “in which the presentation and acceptance of the special import declaration was made,” KPMG said.

U.S. exporters participating in the Food and Beverage Trade Show 2020 in Singapore, March 31 to April 3, can reserve exhibit space under the U.S. pavilion endorsed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the USDA said in a Feb. 6 email. The pavilion will provide exporters with “greater visibility” on the trade show floor and a “turnkey booth package.” Reservations can be made by contacting the pavilion organizer at maiken@oakoverseas.com or (704) 837-1980, ext. 303.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is recruiting U.S. exporters to join the agency on an April trade mission to the Philippines, the USDA said in a Feb. 6 email. The mission, which will visit Manila April 20-22, will give exporters opportunities to meet with trade delegates and local companies looking to import U.S. agricultural goods, USDA said. Applicants should apply to the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service by Feb. 13.

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will host a Defense Export Control and Compliance System webinar to cover the process for enrolling an organization’s current DTrade Super Users as DECCS Corporate Administrators, the DDTC said Feb. 7. The webinar, which will be held Feb. 13 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., will also cover how to invite “team members to join a company” and how to set up “License Groups,” DDTC said. The notice provides log-in information for the webinar. The registration and licensing applications for DECCS will launch Feb. 18 (see 2002040060).

Three people were convicted on fraud, money-laundering and smuggling charges after the Justice Department said they created a fake export scheme to make tens of millions of dollars, according to a Feb. 7 press release. Florida resident Johnny Grobman, along with Raoul Doekhie and Sherida Nabi of Suriname, bought U.S. goods at “deeply discounted” prices after they told U.S. manufacturers the products would be shipped overseas as part of a government procurement contract in Suriname. Instead of exporting the goods, the three people sold the items in the U.S. and split the profits, the Justice Department said.

A group of more than 20 states and Washington, D.C., asked a court to place a preliminary injunction on the Trump administration's plans to transfer gun export controls from the State Department to the Commerce Department, according to a motion filed Feb. 6. The motion says the states will “suffer irreparable harm” if an injunction is not issued. The states filed a lawsuit last month (see 2001240047) that asked the court to vacate final rules released by Commerce and State that would finalize the transfer of the export controls on March 9 (see 2001170030). The lawsuit said the rules will create a dangerous lack of oversight over goods used for the 3D printing of guns and violate federal notice-and-comment procedures and the Arms Export Control Act.

In a chat with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer agreed that it should not be the case that the European Union sells $10 billion to $12 billion more in food products to U.S. consumers than the U.S. sells in food and commodities to the region. “We have to get some more concessions from Europe,” he said. “Their prices are higher, they're less efficient, they don't use the science like we do, and we have a deficit with them? It's crazy.”

The United Nations Security Council Committee added Seka Baluku to its Democratic Republic of Congo sanctions list, according to a Feb. 6 press release. The UNSC said Baluku is the leader of the Allied Democratic Forces, a Uganda-based terrorist organization. The United Kingdom updated its sanctions list with the UNSC addition. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned six members of the Allied Democratic Forces in December (see 1912100044) and sanctioned the group in 2014.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added Venezuela’s state-owned airline and its fleet of more than 35 aircrafts to its Specially Designated Nationals List, Treasury said in a Feb. 7 press release. The airline, Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronáuticas y Servicios Aereos, S.A., and its fleet have been sanctioned since August as part of a U.S. executive order to block Venezuelan government property, Treasury said. Treasury added the airline and its fleet to the SDN list to “ensure strengthened compliance with U.S. sanctions.”