The United Kingdom’s HM Revenue & Customs detailed requirements for importing goods from the EU under the Common Transit Convention after a no-deal Brexit, in an update to its guidance document on transitional simplified procedures. For standard goods, the importer is required to keep records of the importation. For controlled goods, a simplified frontier declaration is required, though not before the goods enter the U.K. Instead, it must be submitted “before the goods leave the office of destination or authorised consignee.” The guidance does not apply to goods imported into Northern Ireland from Ireland, HMRC said.
The United Kingdom’s HM Revenue & Customs on Oct. 7 updated its guidance on procedures for trading between Northern Ireland and Ireland after a no-deal Brexit. Beginning the day the U.K. leaves the EU, currently scheduled for Oct. 31, importers and exporters will have to file declarations for controlled or licensed goods between the U.K. constituent country and the EU member state, including for goods subject to excise duty, such as alcohol, tobacco and certain oils, HMRC said.
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Oct. 7 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
Vietnam and Britain signed a memorandum of understanding on customs cooperation to increase customs training and promote trade, according to an Oct. 6 report in CustomsNews, the self-described “mouthpiece” of Vietnam Customs. The agreement, which includes “support, technical exchange, information exchange and training,” will lead to the “enhancement of trade relations between the two countries,” the report said. The agreement will also help Vietnam address transnational crime and involve training sessions on “searching ships, identifying key containers and managing intelligence,” the report said.
South Korea and Kyrgyzstan will increase trade and diversification in certain sectors to “resolve trade imbalance,” the two sides agreed during an Oct. 4 meeting, according to an unofficial translation of a South Korean press release. During the meeting, South Korea also requested that Kyrgyzstan “make efforts to create business-friendly environment in order to increase investment by” South Korean companies.
Japan is asking domestic companies for feedback as it looks to align its regulations with international rules in advanced technology sectors and other “new services,” the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in an Oct. 7 press release, according to an unofficial translation. Standardization will play a “major role” in “strengthening the international competitiveness of Japanese industries,” it said.
The U.S. is considering selling military goods to Greece as part of the defense cooperation agreement the two sides signed Oct. 4, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. Speaking with reporters, Pompeo also said the U.S. plans to pitch U.S. companies on doing business with Greece, warned Greece about doing business with China and did not rule out the possibility of sanctions or other measures against Turkey if it begins offshore drilling near Cyprus.
The State Department approved a potential $39 million sale of defense items to Ukraine, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in an Oct. 3 press release. The sale includes 150 Javelin missiles and 10 Javelin command launch units, the press release said. The prime contactor is Washington-based Raytheon Company.
The Congressional Research Service released a report Oct. 3 on the U.S.-Japan trade agreement, detailing the scope of the two sides’ initial agreement and potential topics of future talks. The report also explains the increased U.S. market access for agriculture exports and issues Congress may consider in the coming weeks -- in light of the Trump administration's "decision to pursue a limited scope trade agreement with Japan in stages," while also considering tariff actions under Section 232 -- such as which industry sectors the U.S. trade representative should prioritize in future talks and what role, if any, Congress should have in the negotiations.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., is leading a delegation on a two-day trip to Mexico that began Oct. 7 to talk to Mexican government officials and local workers. The Democrat working group is struggling with the Mexican Labor Department budget for the coming fiscal year (see 1909270050 and 1909260038). Neal is accompanied by Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., who has said the new NAFTA is "not near" to being acceptable (see 1909180036). He's also accompanied by Reps. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif. The sole other member of the working group in the delegation is Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif.