The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna announced on July 31 that it is ending a ban on trade in specimens of CITES-listed wildlife species with Lesotho. The 2013 ban came into effect after Lesotho failed to file annual reports required by international agreement. CITES is now lifting the recommendation to suspend trade because Lesotho recently filed the reports.
The World Customs Organization issued the following release on commercial trade and related matters:
Chinese officials on July 28 said their country can’t be blamed for the U.S. trade deficit with China, because “complicated U.S. trade structures are the real reason,” according to a statement published by the China government-run news outlet China Daily. China also runs “a heavy deficit in trade” with the U.S. on high-tech products, agriculture and services, officials said. The statement also notes the comments were a response to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’ remarks earlier this month that the U.S. bilateral trade deficit in goods with China has grown from $101 billion to $309 billion over the last 15 years (see 1707200009). Differences in economic structures, focuses on certain industries with advantages, international division of labor, the “system of trade statistics,” and U.S. restrictions on high-tech exports to China have all contributed to China’s trade surplus with the U.S., China Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Gao Feng said. “China does not aim for trade surplus, and is willing to further increase volume of imports from the US,” China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Deputy Director-General Liu Chao said in a statement. “We hope the U.S. will do the same and take productive actions in easing restrictions on imports from China.”
The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of July 31 (some may also be given separate headlines):
The World Trade Organization recently posted the following notices:
The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of July 28 (some may also be given separate headlines):
Exports of frozen beef from the U.S. and other countries to Japan from April 1 to June 30 triggered a duty increase from the current 38.5 percent to 50 percent under a Japanese safeguard mechanism, which will remain in effect through March 31, 2018, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) said. Frozen beef imports from the U.S. and other countries were large enough by a margin of 113 metric tons to bring about the increase. “USMEF will work with its partners in Japan to mitigate the impact of the safeguard as much as possible,” USMEF CEO Philip Seng said in a statement. “We will also continue to pursue all opportunities to address the safeguard situation by encouraging the U.S. and Japanese governments to reach a mutually beneficial resolution to this issue.” The 50 percent duty will apply to frozen imports from suppliers that don’t have an economic partnership with Japan, including the U.S., Canada and New Zealand, and excepting Australia, a major U.S. competitor in Japan.
The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices as of July 26 (some may also be given separate headlines):
The World Customs Organization issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The World Trade Organization recently posted the following notices: