GHY Tradelines

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Health Canada, and the Consumer Protection Federal Agency of the United Mexican States (Profeco) concluded a first-of-its-kind consumer product safety Summit that was aimed at strengthening the protections for children and consumers throughout North America. The three federal agencies with jurisdiction over consumer products in the United States, Canada, and Mexico issued a joint statement promoting greater cooperation and engagement in ensuring the safety of products made and sold across North America.

According to the U.S. Trade Representative, the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico created the world’s largest free trade area, linking 450 million people producing $17 trillion worth of goods and services. The increasing volume of global trade and the complexity of global supply chains require cooperation among consumer product safety authorities. The organizations agreed to explore further opportunities for collaboration in the following six areas:

• consultation on proposed regulations and voluntary standards,
• cooperation on risk assessment,
• cooperation on import and market surveillance,
• cooperation on training and outreach within and outside North America,
• coordinated consumer awareness campaigns, and
• consultation on potential joint recalls or corrective actions.

“We are facing common challenges and opportunities to promote product safety, and we can be more effective in protecting consumers in the United States and across North America through collaboration and being proactive,” said CPSC’s Chairman Inez Tenenbaum.

“Having real intelligence to identify product safety risks is vital to reassure the consumers of our countries that we have secure borders, and companies that are committed to the consumer,” said Profeco’s Federal Consumer Attorney, Bernardo Altamirano Rodriguez.

Imports from Mexico and Canada accounted for the second and third largest shares, respectively, of imported consumer products likely to be under CPSC jurisdiction. Both countries share major land borders with the U.S. and products produced in or imported from outside North America to any of our three countries may easily find their way into another partner’s jurisdiction. Read more »

(CBC News – Meagan Fitzpatrick)

Liberals are accusing the Conservative government of failing to protect Canadian businesses from protectionist measures in the United States and are anxious for the Buy American issue to be put before a parliamentary committee.

Wayne Easter, the party’s trade critic, said at a news conference on Parliament Hill Tuesday morning that there is an urgent need for the international trade committee to study the Buy American provisions and their impact on Canada. He also wanted hearings on the negotiations with the European Union on a major trade deal that is supposed to be signed by next year.

He proposed two motions for the studies at the international trade committee on Tuesday, “the purpose of which is to ensure that Canadians are provided with clarity on the Harper government’s agenda with respect to trade issues.”

“More importantly, on the failure of the government to defend the interests of Canadian businesses in the face of growing protectionism south of the border in the form of the new Buy American initiative,” said Easter.

The government had proposed its own motion for a Buy American study, but Easter said it’s meaningless and wouldn’t allow for an in-depth study of the provisions. The government’s motion then passed at the meeting Tuesday and the committee agreed to study both Buy American and the EU trade deal and part of Easter’s motion was also considered. The parties will now propose witnesses and the chair of the committee will determine the final list. Read more here.