Trade News

The following is from the 20 April 2012 edition of the Journal of Commerce. A panel at the 7th Annual Homeland Security Law Institute event in March raised the specter of an international hacking incident. The panel — composed of senior attorneys from the CIA, FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Justice Department’s National Security Division — presented a hypothetical scenario involving a defense contractor that had an agreement with a U.S.-based cloud computing company.

Members may be interested in the following, published on 21 April 2012 in Part I of the Canada Gazette.

The following is excerpted from a 23 April 2012 release by Statistics Canada. Wholesale sales rose 1.6% in February to $48.5 billion. The increase followed a 1.1% decline in January. Higher sales were reported in most subsectors in February, four of which accounted for about 90% of the national growth. In volume terms, wholesale sales were up 2.2% in February. This release is available in its entirety at:

The following is excerpted from a 20 April 2012 news release by CBSA. The Honourable James Moore, Senior Minister for British Columbia, on behalf of the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, today announced the expansion of the Automated Border Clearance (ABC) pilot project at Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

Chapter 06 was published to i) add a 2 new miscellaneaous codes: #871 - Pure mushroom spawn with carrier material #872 - Growing media inoculated with mushroom spawn This created a requirement version change for the following HS codes: 06.02.90.0029.02 - Mushroom spawn - morel Armilaria (Armilaria spp., Armillariella spp.) 06.02.90.0029.03 - Mushroom spawn - morel (other spp. than Armilaria spp.) 06.02.90.0029.99 - Mushroom spawn - other

Further to messages sent to members April 5th, 10th, 12th and 17th, CBSA has provided the following update. The following is a CBSA message (EDI12-039)

The following is excerpted from a 20 April 2012 release by CFIA. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is asking for comments on a user fee proposal for its proposed Food Safety Action Plan importer licensing regime.

…… A FITT Webinar, with CSCB participation In the past decade, there have been numerous official pronouncements about border improvements. The most recent and comprehensive of these is the Border Action Plan. Canada’s customs brokers are on trade’s front line, and the organization that represents them – the CSCB – is engaged in making sense of the many plans, announcements and strategies that have the potential to change the operations and profitability of international traders.

The following is excerpted from a 20 April 2012 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 wrapped up a four-country visit to the Americas by highlighting, to participants at the first G-20 trade ministers’ meeting in Mexico, Canada’s pro-trade plan for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity and Canada’s value as a trading partner.

The following is excerpted from a 20 April 2012 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 announced the successful conclusion of a third round of negotiations to modernize the Canada-Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement.

The following has been updated and is now available on the CBSA Web site: Memorandum D17-1-4, Release of Commercial Goods http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d17/d17-1-4-eng.html _________________________________________________

The following is excerpted from a 19 April 2012 news release by Export Development Canada. A new forecast by Export Development Canada (EDC) is focusing on the substantial, trade-driven growth that is currently being obscured within the popular ‘new normal’ narrative. “Years of sluggish growth have convinced us that weakness is here to stay, especially in light of the significant public spending cuts around the globe. This ‘new normal’ thinking is masking a very good business story,” said Peter Hall, Chief Economist, EDC.

The following is from the 20 April 2012 edition of the Journal of Commerce. Imports rose 32.1 percent, exports 21 percent in fiscal 2011-12 India’s trade deficit soared to $185 billion in fiscal 2011-12 as a 32.1 percent jump in imports outpaced a 21 percent growth in exports. “This is the highest ever trade deficit and is a serious concern,” Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar said in New Delhi, releasing the latest provisional trade figures.

The following form has been updated and is available on the CBSA website: E601, Traveller Declaration Card to Be Used by Canadian Residents to Declare Goods http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/forms-formulaires/e601-eng.pdf _________________________________________________

Please note - Question 25 on the CCS quiz includes a reference to HS 3926.90.90. Although no longer in effect, this HS is correct in this instance. This particular HS was in effect at the time a decision regarding the issue described in question 25 was made. You can find additional information to help you answer this question in one of the daily email messages provided to CCS designates. Don’t miss your chance to gain ten (10) professional development points toward maintenance of your CCS designation. The first CCS Designate Quiz for 2012 is now available.

Chapter 01 was published to add a release recommendation of "Refer to CFIA-ISC" for the following HS code. 01.06.90.2102 - Earthworms Please check your version number before submitting through EDI. If you have any questions, please contact your Import Service Centre. _________________________________________________

The following is a CBSA message (EDI12-038) Saturday, April 21st, 2012 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, April 22nd, 2012 Full EDI Outage: