South Korea said it will remove Japan from its so-called white list of trusted trading partners in apparent retaliation for Japan’s similar announcement last week, Reuters reported Aug. 12. The removal from the list, which gives countries a “fast-track trade status,” further escalates tensions between the two countries that have been locked in a trade dispute since early July (see 1908080039).

The escalating trade rhetoric between the U.S. and China should make all companies “realize (if you have not already) that this is not a temporary dispute and is not likely to be resolved anytime soon,” customs lawyer Ted Murphy with Baker & McKenzie blogged on Aug. 9. “The two sides are doubling down and digging in.” With 2020 elections “inching closer” and China’s 70th birthday of the People's Republic festivities set for October, “the political considerations associated with these events make it less likely that a deal will be reached,” he said. “As a result, companies should be re-examining/re-adjusting their supply chains and pursuing additional Section 301 mitigation strategies,” while taking “a view to the medium/long term,” Murphy said.

Crowell & Moring hired Nicole Succar, Nimrah Najeeb and Walter Boone to the law firm's international trade practice, the firm said in a blog post. Succar joins as counsel and previously worked at HSBC. Najeeb joins as an associate and previously worked at Dentons. Boone was hired as an international trade analyst and previously interned with a trade association and at the Commerce Department.

A World Trade Organization arbitrator will review Korea's request to impose tariffs on $350 million worth of U.S. imports because Korea claims the U.S. did not comply with a WTO ruling on antidumping for oil country tubular goods (see 1711140008). The U.S. said Aug. 9 that the level of retaliation is too high. Korea lost most of its claims in the original 2014 case, and the Commerce Department said it complied with the findings regarding profit determinations.

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

The newest version of the World Customs Organization Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) compendium includes six new AEO programs, the WCO said in a news release. The document summarizes each AEO program, "comprising information on accreditation criteria, procedures and expected benefits, as well as associated [Mutual Recognition Agreements]." There now are 83 AEO programs, as well as 74 bilateral and four plurilateral mutual recognition agreements, the WCO said. Also new to the guide is information on existing Customs Mutual Assistance Agreements, the WCO said.

Tariff negotiations among members of the new African Continental Free Trade Agreement are scheduled to conclude by January 2020, with duty reductions under the agreement to take effect in July next year, according to a report in the Namibian newspaper New Era. Signatories of the agreement, which entered into force at the end of May, have agreed that 90 percent of tariffs will be eliminated, while another 7 percent may be designated as sensitive and 3 percent may be excluded from liberalization. Namibian International Relations and Cooperation Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told New Era that negotiations on tariff reductions on the sensitive list are due to the African Union Commission for approval in January. “She noted that trading and tariff dismantling under the AfCFTA is to commence in July 2020, and member states are expected to conclude outstanding rules of origin negotiation,” the report said.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Aug. 9 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

The Canada Border Services Agency added information about postponed effective dates for advance ruling decisions in an updated Memorandum D11-11-3. Also added were "situations where an advance ruling will not be issued and the request rejected," a "clarification on an advance ruling request for a conditional relief tariff item," and "new procedures for the exchange of information by email between the applicant or their agent and the CBSA," it said.

President Donald Trump urged Japan and South Korea to settle their trade dispute and said it is putting the U.S. “in a very bad position.”