The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of July 8 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
Brazil is considering lowering import duties on information technology goods, from 16 percent to 4 percent, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council said in a July 2 report. The move would cover items such as cell phones and computers. The announcement came after Brazilian government officials suggested lowering tariffs would boost the competitiveness of Brazilian companies in the IT sector. Brazilian industry associations have had mixed responses to the potential change, the report said. The Brazilian Electrical and Electronic Industry Association said the move would hurt Brazilian businesses and lead to job losses, while the Association of Brazilian Information Technology Companies reportedly said the move would “boost overall competitiveness despite some adverse effects to certain sectors.” The Brazilian Semiconductor Industry Association said the move would force foreign companies out of the country, shrink the Brazilian industrial sector and lead to an increase in imports, which would hurt domestic semiconductor manufacturing, the report said.
The Canada Border Services Agency will be ending its use of the paper reporting process Export Declaration form (B13A) and require mandatory electronic reporting, the agency said in a July 8 customs notice. CBSA will stop accepting the from as of June 30, 2020, and will require the information through either the Canadian Export Reporting System or the G7 Export Reporting Electronic Data Interchange. The CERS will be available in March of 2020 and will replace the Canadian Automated Export Declaration (CAED) system. "CERS is a web-based, self-service portal enabling exporters to submit electronic declarations (including bulk upload and summary reporting), to the CBSA," the agency said.
China’s National Medical Products Administration issued guidelines for the imports of reference products of biomedicines for clinical trials, according to a July 5 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Among the key points in the guidelines, China is urging applicants to import “original drugs already approved by China for general import” when they conduct “equivalence tests on their proposed biosimilar products.” In addition, if the location where the imported drug was produced differs “from that of the drug previously approved for import,” the applicant is required to “demonstrate the consistency of the drug across its various production bases or conduct research to establish such consistency,” the report said. In either case, the applicant must submit a “supplemental application” to the NMPA’s Center for Drug Evaluation. Drugs that are sourced from an “unapproved location” will not be allowed as part of a clinical trial until the center “has duly accredited it,” the report said.
Leaders of the generally pro-trade New Democrat Coalition warned the U.S. trade representative not to send an implementing bill for the new NAFTA to Congress on July 9. Rep. Derek Kilmer, chairman of the New Dems, and Rep. Gregory Meeks, co-chairman of the group's trade task force, spoke to reporters July 8 about why they sent a letter that day to USTR warning him off.
The Commerce Department posted an updated version of its "Foreign Retaliation Product Scope Matrix" that lists U.S. goods that are included in various countries' retaliatory tariffs. The list includes the affected subheadings and which country's tariffs include the subheadings. The list includes the retaliatory measures by China, the EU, India, Turkey and Russia.
Gibraltar Port and Law Enforcement detained and seized a ship it said was violating European Union sanctions against Syria, Gibraltar said in a July 4 press release. Authorities stopped the “super tanker,” Grace 1, after suspecting it was carrying crude oil bound for Syria’s Banyas Oil Refinery Company, which is sanctioned by the EU. Gibraltar later confirmed the ship was "loaded to capacity with crude oil" and was stopped after it entered Gibraltar territorial waters, according to a July 8 press release. Reuters reported the ship is Iranian and flies a Panama flag.
Iran surpassed the enriched uranium limit that was agreed to as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the country announced July 7, sparking concern from the European Union and threats of additional sanctions by the U.S.
The World Customs Organization issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The West African country of Gambia "deposited its instrument of accession" to the International Convention on the Harmonized System on June 29, the World Customs Organization said in a July 4 news release. The HS Convention will enter force in Gambia on Jan. 1, 2021, the WCO said.