Trade News

The Policy Commission of the World Customs Organization recently met in Abuja, Nigeria. Following are links to two documents: 1. a WCO report of those meetings; and 2. the Informal Report of the WCO Private Sector Consultative Group, which is chaired by CSCB President and IFCBA Secretary, Carol West. __________________________________________________

Please note this update to CAED was announced earlier in Customs Notice CN11-024. CAED 2012 version 12.00 was released the week of December 15th, 2011. Further information is available at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/exp/index-eng.htm __________________________________________________

Serial No. 811 The purpose of this Notice is to inform importers of two sets of changes: to regulations and regulatory instruments under the Export and Import Permits Act (EIPA), in accordance with changes to tariff item numbers in Canada’s Customs Tariff Schedule; to Notices to Importers. This Notice is available in its entirety on the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada website at:

The following is excerpted from a 16 December 2011 news release by the Department of Finance Canada. The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today congratulated General Motors (GM) on its decision to build the next-generation Chevy Impala and the new Cadillac XTS in Oshawa, Ontario. In August, GM announced plans to invest $117 million to prepare the Oshawa Assembly Plant to build the new Cadillac XTS next year, securing approximately 400 jobs... This release is available in its entirety at:

Further to the message sent earlier today, additional information is available on the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada website: http://www.international.gc.ca/controls-controles/report-rapports/list_…

Members may be interested in the following, published on 17 December 2011 in Part I of the Canada Gazette. 1. Under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999, Department of the Environment; notice with respect to certain high priority petroleum substances on the Domestic Substances List. http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/2011-12-17/html/notice-avis-eng…

Message to Brokers and Importers: Changes to Commodity Codes for Agricultural Products, effective January 1, 2012. Canada is making changes to tariff item numbers in the List of Tariff Provisions in Canada’s Customs Tariff Schedule (SOR/2011-191). These changes will come into force on January 1, 2012. The commodity codes of the following agricultural goods will be affected: broiler hatching eggs; chicken and turkey fat; cream of more than 6% fat; shell eggs; and wheat and barley. A summary of the changes can be found in the Notice to Importers No. 811.

Message to Brokers: Changes to Commodity Codes for Textiles and Clothing, effective January 1, 2012. Please be advised that Canada is implementing changes to import and export commodity codes as a result of changes being made to the International Harmonized System.

Enrolment for the 2011-12 CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) course closes today! As the standard in the customs marketplace, the CCS designation is widely recognized and demanded by those who provide and purchase customs services in Canada. Our course is designed for adult learners who are interested in pursuing a career where customs knowledge is essential. Don't miss out - enrol now! Questions concerning the CCS course and designation can be sent to the CSCB at [email protected].

The ACI/eManifest project, long on the trade community’s agenda, is reaching the final stages of consultation. Yesterday, CSCB representatives participated in a day long walkthrough exercise of ACI/eManifest in all modes. Other participants included representatives from CBSA and other key trade associations. The goal was to identify gaps in policy and process that require immediate, additional work. Both the private sector and CBSA left with “to-do” lists.

The following is excerpted from a 14 December 2011 news release by Public Safety Canada.

The following is excerpted from a 14 December 2011 news release by Canada Border Services Agency. December brings with it an expected increase in traveller volumes, as Canadians celebrate the holidays. Whether you travel by land or air, plan ahead.

The following is excerpted from a 15 December 2011 news release by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

The following is excerpted from a 15 December 2011 news release by Canada Revenue Agency. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) today announced the prescribed annual interest rates that will apply to any amounts owed to the CRA and to any amounts the CRA owes to individuals and corporations. These rates are calculated quarterly in accordance with applicable legislation and will be in effect from January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012... This release is available in its entirety at:

The following is excerpted from a 15 December 2011 news release by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today welcomed the successful conclusion of negotiations in Geneva to modernize the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) and expand market access opportunities for the 15 parties—covering a total of 42 WTO members—to the agreement... This release is available in its entirety at:

The following is a CBSA message (EDI11-085) Saturday, December 17th, 2011 CCS / CADEX Outage: Please be advised that due to scheduled maintenance, CCS/CADEX will be down from 05:00 to 05:30 (Eastern Time). CADEX and CUSDEC B3s and AO release queries transmitted to the CADEX system will be affected by this outage. Sunday, December 18th, 2011 CCS / CADEX Outage:

Minutes of the Sarnia CBSA/Customs Brokers meeting held on 22 September 2011 are now available on the Ontario Region page of the CSCB members site. To access, please go to our website at www.cscb.ca, login, and look under “Regional Activity”. __________________________________________________

The CSCB Toronto Region is offering an education seminar entitled " NAFTA - Automotive" on January 17, 2012, between 3:00 and 6:00 pm. The seminar will take place at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Toronto Airport, 6257 Airport Road in Mississauga. Speakers: Jade Litwinenko and Cathy Casquenette, CBSA Register Now! 5 CCS Points towards maintenance of the CCS designation will be awarded for this seminar.