Trade News

The Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) is now back up and running. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your co-operation during this time. _________________________________________________

Please be advised that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ‑ Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) is down. At the moment, we are unable to predict when service will be restored, however, we will keep you informed as information becomes available. For assistance, please contact one of the Import Service Centre (ISC). We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your cooperation. _________________________________________________

The following is excerpted from the 30 April 2012 edition of CBC News. Canada's gross domestic product declined by 0.2 per cent in February, which means the country's overall economy contracted. Temporary closures in mining and other industries contributed to the decline, Statistics Canada said Monday. Economists had been expecting a slight 0.2 per cent rise in GDP, so the decline was a surprise. This article is available in its entirety at:

The following has been updated and is now available on the CBSA Web site: Memorandum D2-1-1, Temporary Importation of Baggage and Conveyances by Non-residents http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d2/d2-1-1-eng.html _________________________________________________

The following is a 27 April 2012 release by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Minister Fast today told the Economic Club of Canada that an ambitious Canada-EU trade agreement will be the cornerstone of the Harper government’s ambitious pro-trade plan, and that benefits will be generated for hard-working Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

The following is excerpted from a 30 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, with Australia’s Minister of Trade and Competitiveness, Craig Emerson.

The following is excerpted from a 30 April 2012 news release by Transport Canada. Merv Tweed, Member of Parliament for Brandon-Souris and Chair of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today addressed the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in North America (CILTNA) Annual Transportation Situation and OutlookConference. MP Tweed spoke on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.

CBSA has advised that the Excel spread sheet sent on April 23rd listing NRCan regulated goods indicated an expiry date of June 6 for certain HS classifications. This was incorrect and an expiry date of May 1 should have been indicated. The spread sheet has been updated and it should be noted that the list on CBSA’s website at this URL is correct: http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/eservices/ogd-amg/hs-sh-eng.html#nrcan2

The CSCB has reviewed the policy regarding the awarding of CCS points for events that do not fall within the current time frame requirements. CCS designates are reminded of the current policy which provides that events must be at least 3 hours duration in order to be considered for the minimum of 5 CCS points. This policy review was prompted by the fact that webinars, including the one hosted by FITT in conjunction with the CSCB on April 25th, are now a common source of information. However, these webinars are rarely 3 hours in length.

This is a reminder that a full database backup of the production database (PROD) is scheduled for Saturday, May 5th, 2012. CFIA systems will be unavailable from 3am to 7am EST. Please note that full database backups of the production database (PROD) are scheduled for the first Saturday of every month between 3am to 7am EST. _________________________________________________

Members may be interested in the following, published on 28 April 2012 in Part I of the Canada Gazette. 1. Under the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, Special Import Measures Act. Notice No. HA-2012-002. United Wood Frames Inc. v. President of the Canada Border Services Agency Goods in Issue: Mattress innerspring units Issue: Whether the correct amount of anti-dumping duty was assessed on the goods.

The following is excerpted from a 30 April 2012 speech by Timothy Lane, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada. Good morning. It’s a pleasure to be with you as you reflect on the challenges facing the North American transport and logistics industries in the current global economic environment. Your industries are inextricably linked with the wider economy: they enable other economic activity by connecting producers with their suppliers and markets elsewhere in Canada and around the world.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) would like to remind industry that the use of trade-marks in labelling and advertising of food sold in Canada must comply with applicable federal food legislation, including the Food and Drugs Act (FDA) and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act (CPLA). A trade-mark is a word (or words), a design, or a combination of these, to identify the goods or services of one person or organization.

The following is excerpted from the 27 April 2012 edition of The Globe and Mail. Negotiations on the free-trade agreement between Canada and the European Union – the largest market in the world – are expected to conclude this year. This is vital, as Canada’s trade policy agenda has largely been stalled for a generation.

The following is excerpted from the 30 April 2012 edition of Industry Week. Beijing on Monday unveiled guidelines aimed at boosting imports, just days ahead of a key meeting with the United States expected to address China's politically sensitive trade surplus. The powerful State Council, or cabinet, said China will "appropriately" increase the scale of imports to encourage more balanced trade and reduce trade friction, according to a document posted on the central-government website. This article is available in its entirety at:

The following is excerpted from the 28 April 2012 edition of The Montreal Gazette. The Conservative government moved Friday to fill a public-relations vacuum that has enveloped free-trade talks between Canada and the European Union, holding 18 public events nationwide and launching an online portal with facts and myths about the deal. The Conservatives have talked about the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) for weeks, but without being able to divulge the text of the agreement. An information vacuum ensued, with critics filling the hole.

The following is excerpted from a 30 April 2012 release by Statistics Canada. Real gross domestic product declined 0.2% in February. Temporary closures in mining and other goods-producing industries contributed to the decline. Decreases in mining and oil and gas extraction, manufacturing, utilities as well as forestry and logging outpaced advances in construction. In service-producing industries, gains in wholesale trade and in the finance and insurance sector outweighed declines in retail trade and in the transportation and warehousing sector.

The quarterly index of the Canada Gazette is now available. This index includes edition numbers 1 - 13, from January 1, 2012 – March 31, 2012. http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2012/indexq1-eng.html _________________________________________________