It's unclear how North Korean leader Kim Jong Un got the armored Mercedes-Maybach limousines made by Daimler that Kim used for several recent meetings with international leaders, a spokesman for the company said. In an April 29 email, a Daimler spokesman said the company has a “comprehensive export control process” to “prevent” all sales to North Korea. “We have no indication how those vehicles have come to the use of” North Korea, he said. Exports of luxury goods to North Korea are banned under United Nations sanctions, and sanctions imposed by the U.S. allow the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to designate any person who “engages in a significant export to or import from North Korea,” according to the Treasury.

Recent editions of Mexico's Diario Oficial list trade-related notices as follows:

The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of April 29 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau met with Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe on April 28 and discussed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), according to a news release from Trudeau's office. "There has been a significant increase in demand for Canadian products since the CPTPP came into force," it said. "For example, some Canadian beef products exported to Japan have increased nearly threefold." Also, the two leaders signed a Memorandum of Cooperation that "will make it easier for Canadian and Japanese companies to work in partnership, and will drive investment in both our countries." Jim Carr, minister of international trade diversification, said: "Our close economic ties with Japan have never been stronger thanks in large part to our new trade deal with Asia and Pacific countries -- and our government is strengthening those ties even further. That’s why we’re adding trade commissioners right across Canada, and putting new trade commissioners in three major Japanese cities to help our businesses and economy grow."

Brazil recently announced changes to its special customs regimes for the oil and gas industry, according to an alert from EY. In a notice published April 5, the Receita Federal do Brasil (RFB) amended its “normative instructions” on the Repetro and Repetro-Sped programs related to how imports and temporary imports qualify for the program, what goods may qualify, the circumstances under which the regimes may not be used and application requirements.

A new Indonesian regulation requiring fresh fruit and produce to be registered with the country’s Ministry of Agriculture “could potentially be another significant non-tariff barrier to marketing U.S. fruit and nuts in Indonesia,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service said in an April 15 report. Issued in January, the regulation requires that Indonesian importers and distributors must register their products and put in place a traceability system. It also sets new labeling requirements for fruits and vegetables. “It is unclear exactly what products will be subject to this new regulation and how it will be implemented,” USDA said. The report includes a translation of the new regulation.

Soybeans, peas and pork are now seeing new barriers to importation into China, Reuters reported on April 29. The rejections and delays of those products follow an ongoing dispute over imports of Canadian canola (see 1904170029). "Now traders say Canadian soybeans and peas face unusual obstacles," Reuters reported. "Ottawa also warned last week that China was holding up pork shipments over paperwork issues."

The European Council renewed its sanctions on Myanmar/Burma until April 30, 2020, according to an April 29 press release from the European Union. The sanctions place a ban on exporting dual-use goods to the country and prohibit dealing in “arms and equipment that can be used for internal repression,” the release said, as well as equipment for “monitoring communications” and “military cooperation” with the Myanmar Armed Forces. The sanctions also cover 14 “high-ranking officials” in the Myanmar military who committed “serious human rights violations,” the council said.

Canada will enact final safeguards on two categories of steel and begin consultations on the five categories that the Canadian International Trade Tribunal didn't recommend for safeguard tariffs (see 1904040051), the Department of Finance Canada said in an April 26 news release. The 30-day consultation with industry and workers will help "determine what further protections are required," it said. The CITT said the safeguards were deserved for imports of heavy plate and stainless steel wire.

The Aerospace Industries Association asked the Commerce Department for more time before it sets space-related export control regulations, in order to allow for its member companies to have "open discussions with the government," in comments filed in a Bureau of Industry and Security proposed rulemaking regarding the Commerce Control List for munitions. The trade group said it lacked an "industry consensus" on multiple changes being considered. The comments were solicited by State and Commerce after both requested public comments on a proposal for items listed on the U.S. Munitions List in categories IV and XV: launch vehicles and spacecraft. The proposal is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to revive the National Space Council and review space-related export controls (see 1904180014). Comments were due April 22