Trade News

The following is a release from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Protecting Canada’s plant resources The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is Canada’s national plant protection organization. The CFIA is entrusted with this responsibility as part of its overall mandate to protect Canada’s food, plant and animal resources.

The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today released The Fiscal Monitor for October 2011. HIGHLIGHTS OCTOBER 2011: BUDGETARY DEFICIT OF $2.2 BILLION There was a budgetary deficit of $2.2 billion in October 2011, compared to a deficit of $4.1 billion in October 2010.

The following is from a December 23 release from the Business Recorder. Leaders of the South American trade bloc Mercosur agreed here to temporarily raise tariffs on products coming from outside of the trade zone, to offset "trade imbalances" caused by the global financial crisis.

The following is a 22 December 2011 release from Transport Canada. The Government of Canada today welcomed the opportunity to respond officially to the United States (U.S.) Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Notice of Inquiry, Docket 11-19. Canada presented a fact-based submission underscoring the importance to both countries of the integrated North American economy and the strong Canada-U.S. trade relationship.

The following is a CBSA message (EDI11-90 Update). The source of our system slowdown has been isolated and resolved. We are currently now experiencing a delay of less than 5 hours in processing Electronic Releases, RNS, CSA, ACI Marine, ACI Air, ACI eManifest Highway as well as Rail and Highway Cargo. This does not impact CADEX and CUSDEC B3 processing.

The following is from 23 December 2011 Journal of Commerce.

Members may be interested in the following, published on 24 December 2011 in Part I of the Canada Gazette.

The following is now available on the CBSA Web site: Customs Notice 11-027,New Import Requirements for Aquatic Animals Under the Health of Animals Regulations http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/cn-ad/cn11-027-eng.html

Decision and reasons issued Thursday, December 22, 2011 IN THE MATTER OF an appeal heard on September 22, 2011 pursuant to subsection 67(1) of the Customs Act, R.S.C. 1985 (2d Supp.), c. 1; AND IN THE MATTER OF eight decisions of the President of the Canada Border Services Agency, dated January 26, 2011, with respect to a request for re-determination pursuant to subsection 60(4) of the Customs Act. BETWEEN CE FRANKLIN LTD. Appellant

The following is excerpted from 23 December 2011 news release by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today announced new sanctions on Syria’s Assad regime in response to its ongoing and escalating repression of Syrians: “Despite increased international condemnation, the senseless violence against the Syrian people continues to claim lives.

Enclosed please find a service update from CN. If you would like to see the original web page, including a map of the affected areas, please visit: http://www.cn.ca/service. U.S.A. - IOWA/NEBRASKA OPERATIONS - CN had no access to our yards at Council Bluffs, IA and Omaha, NE since early June; some of our trackage was compromised by washouts and flooding that occurred earlier.

Further to CBSA's previous message, CBSA is currently experiencing a delay of 3 hours in processing Electronic Releases. This is also affecting CFIA EDI releases. At this time we are unable to determine when service will be restored, however, we will keep you informed as information becomes available. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and would like to thank you for your cooperation. Contact Times and Phone Numbers:

The following is a CBSA message (EDI11-090). We are currently experiencing a delay of 3 hours in processing Electronic Releases, RNS, CSA, ACI Marine, ACI Air, ACI eManifest Highway as well as Rail and Highway Cargo. This does not impact CADEX and CUSDEC B3 processing.

CBSA has released the following information on 22 December 2011 addressing PIP members. Please be advised that effective March 1, 2012, the current International Organization for Standardization (ISO) mechanical seal standard (ISO / PAS 17712) will be replaced with a new ISO standard – ISO 17712:2010. The new standard has the following compliance requirements:

The following is a 22 December 2011 notice from the Government of Canada. The Government of Canada has launched an on-line consultation on Open Government and is inviting all Canadians to participate. The consultation will continue until January 16, 2012 and can be accessed from the Open Government web site at: http://www.open.gc.ca/index-eng.asp.

The following is a statement from Alan D. Bersin, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection released December 22, 2011.

HS classification and its compliance implications have been recognized by the CSCB and CBSA as a priority for education and training. As a result of our shared recognition of its importance and our ongoing collaboration on this subject area, we are pleased to announce that Vancouver will the site of the next CBSA/CSCB seminar on HS Classification on Monday, February 6, 2012.

The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today issued the following statement on the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia’s proposed trade restrictions on seal products: ...“The Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia has proposed trade restrictions on seal products.

The following message is from CFIA. The purpose of this message is to inform stakeholders that as of January 1, 2012, updated HS codes, as drafted by the World Customs Organization (WCO) will be implemented. These updates will affect the CFIA AIRS coding structure, and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Tariff codes. The AIRS system will incorporate the new coding structure on January 1. Information on changes to the HS codes can be found on the WCO web site at:

All of us at the CSCB national office in Ottawa wish you and your loved ones all the best for a safe and peaceful holiday season. May 2012 be a year of health, happiness and prosperity for you! ---- Joyeuses Fêtes de la part de la SCCD!