GHY Tradelines

(Story: CP24 – The Canadian Press | Video: Global National)

Canada and Japan have agreed to enter free trade talks.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Japanese counterpart made the announcement following a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on Sunday.  “These are important steps forward; historic steps forward,” Harper said before the bilateral meeting.

Harper said a deal would strengthen the Canadian economy by generating billions of additional dollars in commerce with Japan.  He estimated Canadian exports to the island nation could increase by two-thirds.

After being shut out Trans-Pacific Partnership talks, both countries embarked on a joint study on economic co-operation, which Canadian government officials say found complimentary areas. Read more here.
 

(CBSA)

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (FAITC) announced in Canada Gazette Vol. 146, No. 6 – March 14, 2012, that the implementation of a new import permit system for steel and steel products will come into effect on April 1, 2012.

Importers of steel and steel products will no longer be required to obtain individual permits but will, instead, be provided by FAITC with general import permits (GIP) for all steel covered by the Import Control List of the Export and Import Permits Act.

The new import permit system will eliminate a need for importers of steel and steel products to provide to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) the individual permit information (electronic transaction record or paper copy of the transaction record) with the release request.

Please note that General Import Permit No. 80 – Carbon Steel (GIP 80), and General Import Permit No. 81 – Specialty Steel Products (GIP 81) must be quoted on the release documentation (e.g. description of goods field on the invoice) or in the description free text field, when release requests are transmitted to the CBSA using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

For details on import requirements and permit procedures for the importation of goods listed in the Import Control List under the Export and Import Permits Act, please refer to the Memorandum D19-10-2, Export and Import Permits Act (Importation).
 

(ST&R Trade Report)

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed that companies be required to report all new uses, including in domestic or imported products, of five groups of potentially harmful chemicals: polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), benzidine dyes, a short chain chlorinated paraffin, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and phthalate di-n-pentyl phthalate (DnPP). These chemicals have been used in a range of consumer products and industrial applications, including paints, printing inks, pigments and dyes in textiles, flame retardants in flexible foams, and plasticizers. An EPA official noted that although a number of these chemicals are no longer manufactured or used in the U.S. they can still be imported in consumer goods or for use in products.

According to an EPA press release, the proposed significant new use rules under the Toxic Substances Control Act would require anyone who intends to manufacture, import or process any of these chemicals for an activity that is designated as a significant new use to submit a notification to EPA at least 90 days before beginning the activity. This notification means that EPA can evaluate the intended new use and take action to prohibit or limit that activity if warranted.

In addition, EPA plans to issue a proposed test rule that would require manufacturers or processors to conduct testing on the health and environmental effects of PBDEs.
 

(Reuters)

The United States said on Friday it would appeal a World Trade Organization ruling against a law requiring country-of-origin labels on all meat sold in grocery stores, a move that disappointed Canada and Mexico, both of which want the law changed.

The meat labels became mandatory in March 2009 after years of debate. U.S. consumer and mainline farm groups supported the requirement, saying consumers should have information to distinguish between U.S. and foreign products.  Big meat processors opposed the provision, which they said would unnecessarily boost costs and disrupt trade.

A WTO panel ruled in November that the country-of-origin labeling, or COOL, provision violated WTO rules on technical barriers to trade. The case was brought by Canada and Mexico, which have sizeable cattle and hog trade with the United States. Read more here.
 

Annual surface transportation trade between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico reached $904 billion in 2011, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports, a 14.3% jump that was the third-largest increase since NAFTA took effect in 1994. U.S. imports from Canada and Mexico via truck, rail and pipeline were up 13.8% while exports rose 14.8%. Total U.S.-NAFTA trade is up by 42% since 2009, when it fell to a recent low due to an economic recession.

U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada totaled $537 billion in 2011, up 14% from a year before. Imports carried by truck rose 10% by value while exports gained 12.4%. The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada via surface modes was vehicles and vehicle parts, which accounted for $96.1 billion in trade and was roughly split between exports and imports.

Total surface transportation trade between the U.S. and Mexico reached $367.1 billion, up 14.6% from 2010. The value of imports by truck saw a 12.4% gain while exports climbed 14.9%. The top commodity transported between the two countries via surface modes was electrical machinery at $80.5 billion.

Click here for BTS notice.
 

(The Economist)

The European Commission is flirting dangerously with protectionism

“Free trade, yes. Disloyal competition, no. Europe that opens all its public-procurement markets when others do not open them at all – it’s no.” Thus Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, in a markedly protectionist campaign speech earlier this month. Less than a fortnight later, the European Commission has snapped its heels. It has issued a proposal to let the EU close its public-procurement markets to firms from countries that exclude European competitors from their public contracts. Like Mr Sarkozy, Eurocrats insist that this is not protectionism. It is, rather, creating a lever to prise open closed markets. The proposal has been a long time coming; if the commission had to postpone every initiative because of an election, it could never do anything. Yet many still see this as a campaign gift to Mr Sarkozy.

France’s Socialists will not denounce it. But liberals, especially Britain and other north Europeans, are aghast. Everybody knows that Mr Sarkozy dislikes free trade. What dismays them is that the commission should abandon its role as a force for open markets. Germany, usually careful to stay close to France, said in a scathing private paper that “the proposal is unacceptable and should be rejected.” It notes that Europe can hardly argue against “buy American” restrictions while adopting “buy European” ones. Read more here.