China will continue to suspend tariffs on U.S.-made cars and auto parts past April 1, according to a notice from China’s Ministry of Finance. In December, China originally announced it was suspending additional 25 percent tariffs on U.S. vehicles and parts as a show of good faith as the two countries negotiated a trade deal. The tariff suspension was scheduled to end April 1, but China announced on March 31 that the country would be upholding the suspension to “create a good atmosphere for economic and trade consultations between the two sides,” according to an unofficial translation of the announcement. The Ministry of Finance said it will announce at a later date when the extension will expire.

Noatum Logistics reached a deal to acquire MIQ Logistics, the companies said in a March 21 news release. MIQ's workforce will be integrated with Noatum, a division of Noatum Maritime of Spain, "as there is no geographical overlap except in Chile, where the services complement each other," the companies said. The acquisition is expected to close in the "coming weeks." Terms of the deal weren't released. MIQ is based in Kansas and has more than 60 offices in 19 countries. "Together, we will be able to grow more quickly, ensuring our employees and clients’ satisfaction at all times," MIQ CEO John Carr said. "This is the right move, at the right time with the right company.” MIQ is owned by private equity firm Austin Ventures.

Grant Robinson will become CEO at Farrow on April 1, the company said in a news release. Robinson previously worked as a partner at an executive search consulting firm.

The Federal Maritime Commission released a notice of the filing of the following agreements under the Shipping Act of 1984. Interested parties may submit comments on the agreement by email to Secretary@fmc.gov, or by mail to the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573, within 12 days of publication in the Federal Register.

The World Customs Organization issued the following release on commercial trade and related matters:​​

In the March 28 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

The United Kingdom’s HM Revenue & Customs posted a new video March 28 intended to explain requirements for trading with the European Union should the U.K. leave the EU with no deal in place. The video covers applying for an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number, transitional simplified procedures (TSP), preparing to make customs declarations, entry summary declarations and paying the correct import and export duty and VAT, HMRC said.

The European Union on March 28 issued a report on its trade defense activities in 2018, including antidumping and countervailing duties and safeguards. The EU started 10 new AD/CVD investigations in 2018, with 105 AD/CVD orders in place at the end of a year, “a slight decrease as compared to the previous year,” the report sad. “Investigative work remained at a high level, reaching nearly that of 2017,” it said.

The Canada Border Services Agency is set to begin the "phased-in transition to decommissioning" legacy release options on April 1, the agency said in a March 28 email. Other Government Departments (OGD) service options pre-arrival review system (PARS), or SO 463, and release on minimum documentation (RMD), or SO 471, were set for decommissioning on April 1, 2019, but CBSA recently told members of the trade that the sunset date for OGD PARS (SO 463) and OGD RMD (SO 471) will now be in October (see 1903260049). The CBSA notice not include specific dates. At some point the agency will only allow for Single Window Initiative and Integrated Import Declaration (SO 911).

The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security denied export privileges to Mohan Nirala on March 25, BIS said in a notice. Nirala was convicted in 2017 for violations of the Espionage Act after having unauthorized possession of classified documents, BIS said. The denial of export privileges will last for 10 years from the date of the conviction -- that is, until March 13, 2027, BIS said.