GHY Tradelines

(CBSA – Media Room)

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today that Canada and the United States are continuing to deliver on key commitments under the Beyond the Border Action Plan for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness. Effective June 30, 2012, the CBSA lifted the three-year residency requirement for Canadian and United States citizens to apply to NEXUS.

“Taking steps to expand NEXUS membership and enhance its benefits will help ensure more pre-screened travellers enjoy expedited processing at the border,” said the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety. “Amending the three-year residency requirement will attract new members who would have previously not been eligible to apply to NEXUS. Increased NEXUS membership will encourage cross border travel and create economic benefits for both countries.”

By amending the three-year residency requirement, the CBSA is extending NEXUS membership eligibility to citizens of Canada or the United States currently residing abroad, or who have recently returned to Canada or the United States. Read more here.
 

(Bloomberg – Jennifer Freedman)

China blocked a request by the U.S., the European Union and Japan for World Trade Organization judges to probe its curbs on exports of rare earths. It won’t be able to thwart a second request, which may be made on July 23.

China says it imposed the limits in 2010 to conserve resources and protect the environment. China produces 97% of the world’s rare earths, 17 chemically similar metallic elements used in Boeing Co. helicopter blades, Nokia mobile phones, Toyota Motor Corp. hybrid cars and wind turbines, according to EU data.

“China’s restrictions on rare earths and other products are violating its WTO commitments and continue to significantly distort global markets to the disadvantage of our companies,” EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said in a June 27 statement. “Despite the very clear WTO ruling earlier this year in the first raw-materials case, Beijing has not taken steps to remove these export restrictions.” Read more here.
 

(Agence France-Presse)

13th round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations made advances on 20 areas under negotiation, the Office of U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said.

The United States said trade negotiations with eight Pacific partners made “important progress” in the latest round of talks that wrapped up in California on Tuesday.

The 13th round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, aimed at creating a vast trade pact across the dynamic region, made advances on 20 areas under negotiation, the office of U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said.

The USTR noted “particularly significant” progress on a number of issues, such as customs, cross-border services, telecommunications and government procurement, in the July 2-10 talks in San Diego. Read more here.
 

(Reuters-BNN)

Canada’s trade deficit in May grew to C$793 million ($777 million) from C$623 million in April, pushed up by record imports while exports stayed flat, Statistics Canada said on Wednesday.

Market analysts had expected a deficit of C$380 million. Statscan revised April’s deficit up from an initial C$367 million.

Exports were virtually unchanged at C$38.88 billion with an increase in volumes offsetting a fall in prices. Exports are of critical importance to the Canadian economy and accounted for around 31% of gross domestic product in 2011. Read more here.
 

(CBC News – Mark Gollom)

U.S. officers have powers to make arrests in Canada

When the Conservative government passed its controversial omnibus budget bill last month, it included new powers for certain U.S. law enforcement agents that critics say could have ramifications for Canadian sovereignty.

The Integrated Cross Border Law Enforcement Operations Act now makes it possible for American officers to cross the border into Canada where, as the act states, they have “the same power to enforce an act of Parliament as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.” This means they’ll be armed and have the powers to arrest suspects in Canadian territory.

For years, law enforcement agents without the authority to cross into neighbouring waters have complained that suspected drug traffickers or smugglers could flee one country by boat and go to another to evade arrest. Officers from one country would have to stop at the border of the other.

Now, small crews, made up of Canadian and U.S. officers specially designated and trained for cross-border policing, can go back and forth across the maritime border, all the while subject to the laws of the country they are in. Read more here.