GHY Tradelines

An updated list of recently published government memorandums, notices, regulations and decisions for the week ending January 6, 2011 is now available on our website here.
 

(Bloomberg – Jennifer M. Freedman)

The World Trade Organization gave the U.S., Canada and Mexico an extra two months to decide whether to appeal a November ruling that found American country-of-origin labeling provisions unfairly hurt agricultural commerce.

The three governments now have until March 23 to challenge judges’ finding that U.S. requirements for food processors to identify the nations from which cattle, hogs and some fresh produce originate break global trade rules, the WTO said in a statement in Geneva today. Read more here.
 

(Journal of Commerce Online – R.G.Edmonson)

Changes align U.S system with WTO-recommended international tariff code 

Importers and exporters are getting their first look at the revised U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule after changes were released through a presidential proclamation on Wednesday.

Changes to the HTS, the standard code used to classify goods for the purpose of revenue collection, aligns the U.S. system with the international tariff code recommended by the World Customs Organization, said Dave Back, director of tariff affairs for the U.S. International Trade Commission, said that the changes align the U.S. system

Although the tariff tables look the same at first glance, there are 130 pages of amendments, he said. The revisions have been under way for two years, but the agency could not release them until Wednesday’s proclamation.  “We’ve been getting calls about this for months,” Back said.

Reference: USITC Publication 4276 (Annex to Presidential Proclamation). Also see USITC HTS page.
 

(CBC News)

The U.S. economy created a surprising 200,000 new jobs in December as the unemployment rate continued to trend down at 8.5%.

The Bureau of Labour Statistics said gains in transportation and warehousing, retail trade, manufacturing, health care and mining were responsible for the strong figure. Economists were expecting the figure to come in closer to 150,000. Read more here.
 

(Journal of Commerce Online – Joseph Bonney)

U.S. trade up 28.7% from two years ago, up 8.7% from 2008

The value of trade using surface transportation between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico rose 12% to $79 billion in October, the Transportation Department reported.  Totals were up for trade with both U.S. partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement. U.S.-Canada trade posted a 14.1% year-over-year gain to $46.4 billion. U.S.-Mexico trade rose 9.1% to $32.6 billion. Read more here.
 

(Randall Palmer — Reuters)

Canada gained 17,500 jobs in December, but the jobless rate rose and the new positions were all part time, further evidence its post-recession hiring surge has ended even as U.S. jobs growth finally picks up the pace.

Statistics Canada data on Friday showed that the new jobs were not enough to offset the previous two months of declines.

The unemployment rate rose to its highest level since April despite the rise in employment, climbing to 7.5 percent from November’s 7.4 percent, as more people participated in the job market. Read more here.

Summary statistics and links to the data files are on the Statistics Canada website here.
 

(World Trade Interactive)

The Court of International Trade ruled in Estee Lauder Inc. v. U.S. Jan. 3 that certain cosmetic sets are “put up for retail sale” and properly classified under HTSUS 3304.20.00 (duty-free). U.S. Customs and Border Protection had classified the goods in the set separately under several subheadings and argued that if they are classifiable as a set they should be classified under HTSUS 4202.12.20 because the cosmetic cases give the sets their essential character. Read more here.