GHY Tradelines

The Import Control Division will be closed for the Victoria day holiday from Friday May 18, 2012 at 4:00 pm (ET) until Tuesday May 22, 2012 at 8:00 am.

If you require assistance please contact the National Import Service Centre:
National ISC :   800-835-4486, 877-493-0468

Please note:  Ottawa Meat Import Control Centre (1-877-682-5191) will be opened Monday, May 21, 2012 from the hours of 8 AM to 6 PM (ET).
 

(Industry Week/AFP)

Ministry of Commerce said additional quotas were given to 12 companies that recently passed environmental checks

China, which is locked in a dispute with major trading partners over its control of rare earth-minerals, on Thursday announced additional export quotas for this year. The Ministry of Commerce said it would allow companies to potentially export an additional 10,680 tonnes of rare earths, bringing the total for this year to 21,226 tonnes.

The United States, European Union and Japan lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization in March, saying China was choking off exports of rare earths to unfairly benefit domestic industries. Read more here.
 

(MercoPress)

Argentina could rapidly become the “Greece of Latin America” given the trade restrictions it has imposed born out of the lack of sufficient hard currency to face its international commitments, according to Chile’s Manufacturing and Services Exporters Association, Roberto Fantuzzi.

“So far this year (Chilean) manufactured exports to Argentina keep falling, which anticipates a further drop in April. We must begin to acknowledge that Argentina could become the Greece of Latin America since its crisis of lack of hard currency is affecting all of its neighbours, manufacturing exports to Argentina are in a free fall”, said Fantuzzi.

Since last February first, all Argentine importers must present anticipated sworn statements before any operation which is neither a guarantee of approval on time or in volume by the bureaucratic system mounted to decide on each request. This has caused a serious fall in export volume to Argentina for Chilean companies and items, points out Fantuzzi. Read more here.
 

(Journal of Commerce – Mark Szakonyi)

Traffic rose 2.2% year-over-year between March 22 and April 30

A jump in coal shipments helped boost cargo volume on the Saint Lawrence Seaway up 2.2% in the first five weeks of the waterway season in 2012.

Coal shipments, the second-largest shipped commodity on the international seaway, rose 40% year-over-year between March 22 and April 30. An 8% increase in iron ore volume helped offset a 9% drop in grain volume in the same period.

Much of the gains in traffic are caused by the strengthening of the North American steel industry, according to the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. Shipments of bulk materials, including stone and cement, rose 15% so far this season from the same period a year ago. Read more here.
 

(Canada Newswire)

Alberta’s international exports are forecast to grow by 7% this year and 6% in 2013, surpassing CAD 100 billion next year, according to the Global Export Forecast released today by Export Development Canada (EDC).

“Peak prices for oil and key commodities have been boosting the value of Alberta’s exports for a number of years, but additional gains will be somewhat constrained by softening prices. Increased volumes, however, will keep the province on the growth track,” said Peter Hall, Chief Economist of EDC.

Alberta exports are dominated by the energy sector, which accounts for three quarters of total annual sales. Energy exports are forecast to rise 8% in 2012 and 5% in 2013, despite a weaker price environment. Read more here.
 

(STR Trade Report)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced May 16 that the Automated Commercial System and the Automated Commercial Environment are now ready to accept claims for preferential tariff treatment under the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. CBP has set forth the following requirements for filing such claims.

- country of origin must be “CO”

- country of export must be “CO”

- tariff number associated with the claim must contain the special program indicator “CO”

- HTSUS numbers 9822.08.01 through 9822.08.35 and 9918.02.01 through 9918.24.20 (except HTSUS 9822.08.25, 9822.08.35, 9918.24.15 and 9918.24.20) are subject to quota

- to claim an exemption from the merchandise processing fee for a good that qualifies as originating under the Colombia FTA and is classified in a tariff line that is already duty-free, the country code SPI CO should be transmitted

Also on May 16 CBP issued an information bulletin to importers, brokers and others specifying instructions for implementing the Colombia FTA. This bulletin addresses issues such as rules of origin, transit and transshipment, regional value content calculation, de minimis provisions, textiles and apparel, correction of false or unsupported claims, certification and other information requirements, verification of claims, protest rights and post-importation claims.
 

(Keith Bradsher – New York Times)

Renewable energy companies around the world are awaiting a decision Thursday by the U.S. Commerce Department on whether to impose anti-dumping tariffs on solar panels imported from China, as a little-noticed policy shift by the department last year has made the outcome of the case unusually hard to predict

Chinese companies grabbed nearly half the U.S. market for solar panels last year through aggressive price cuts that helped make solar energy considerably more affordable for U.S. families and electric utilities. But solar panel manufacturers in the United States have accused the Chinese companies of “dumping” panels: selling them below the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, so as to seize market share, drive competitors out of business and raise prices later. Read more here.
 

(Globe & Mail)

Canadians are spending far more on goods in the U.S. than federal data suggest, raising the stakes for domestic retailers trying to find ways to draw customers back into their stores.

As much as 8 to 10 per cent of consumer spending on a raft of products is flowing to retailers outside the border, according to estimates in a report being released today by BMO Nesbitt Burns. That compares to Statistics Canada data that say 4 per cent of retail spending is shifting outside the country. Read more here.
 

(Agence France-Presse)

China, emerging economies push pirated software use to an all-time high.

Software piracy cost the industry a record $63.4 billion globally in 2011 with emerging economies listed as the main culprits, an annual study said Tuesday. This was up nearly 8% from the previous record of $58.8 billion in 2010, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) said in the study.

In the Asia Pacific, which comprises several emerging economies including China, bootleg software usage also cost the industry an all-time high of $21 billion last year, up 12% from 2010, BSA said. Read more here.
 

(CNET – Steven Musil)

The One X and Evo 4G LTE are being delayed indefinitely by U.S. Customs officials over patent infringement issues.

Apple’s patent dispute with HTC reached a new level today with word that U.S. imports of HTC phones are being delayed by Customs officials.

The One X and Evo 4G LTE are being delayed indefinitely by U.S. Customs officials over unresolved patent infringement issues with Apple, HTC said, confirming an earlier report on The Verge. Read more here.
 

(Health Canada)

Health Canada is currently conducting a consultation on the creation of the proposed Administrative Monetary Penalties (Consumer Products) Regulations under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act. (CCPSA).  These proposed Regulations are meant to further clarify the CCPSA provisions of the administrative monetary penalties process on matters such as classifying violations, fixing penalties, and the circumstances under which penalties may be increased or reduced.  For more information on this proposal, please visit the Canada Gazette.

The proposed regulations are currently undergoing a 75-day comment period, which ends on June 7, 2012.  Comments received before this date will be formally reviewed and considered by Health Canada.  After this time, Health Canada will take the necessary steps to finalize the proposed regulations for publication in Canada Gazette, Part II, where they will become law.

Please address comments to:

James Hardy,
Project Officer,
Risk Management Strategies Division,
Risk Management Bureau,
Consumer Product Safety Directorate,
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch,
Department of Health,
123 Slater Street, 4th floor, Address Locator 3504D,
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
fax: 613-952-9138
email: cps.spc@hc-sc.gc.ca