President Donald Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act to try to claim more 3M masks for U.S. workers, made in the U.S. or in China. The company issued a statement April 3 that said: “In the course of our collaboration with the Administration this past weekend, the Administration requested that 3M increase the amount of respirators we currently import from our overseas operations into the U.S. We appreciate the assistance of the Administration to do exactly that. For example, earlier this week, we secured approval from China to export to the U.S. 10 million N95 respirators manufactured by 3M in China.
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of March 30 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
The Canada Border Services Agency should suspend customs liability during the period of deferred customs duties, the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers said in an announcement posted on the Farrow blog. “These are unprecedented times, and the normal and beneficial business practices that underpin the customs broker-client financial relationship now have the potential to negatively impact the intended positive effects of deferral,” it said. “For example, brokers who hold release prior to payment security on behalf of importers may require deposits or payments to mitigate their financial risk.” The CSCB “also requested that there be no claims against importer bonds during this time,” it said. “We believe this gives importers the best chance of benefiting from the government’s decision on deferral in the next three months and beyond, supporting their viability. It also supports customs brokers and the valuable services they provide not only in the context of the accounting and payment process, but for release of goods at a time when trade facilitation is critical to recovery.”
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of March 30 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of March 27 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
Canadian and Mexican politicians are sending different messages to their countries' journalists about how quickly the uniform regulations can be completed for the new NAFTA, now known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. A Canadian politician and a labor leader told a Canadian newspaper that a June 1 date of entry into force is unlikely, given how much remains to be done to be ready, and especially with the disruption caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
The Canada Border Services Agency is again postponing the sunset date for legacy release options as part of the Single Window Initiative and Integrated Import Declaration transition, the agency said in a March 24 customs notice. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBSA will be postponing the decommissioning of the legacy [other government departments] release service options until a date later to be determined,” it said. “Clients that have on-boarded to the SWI IID (SO911) but continue to use the legacy OGD release service options (SO463 and SO471) may experience delays in the processing of their shipment. As such, clients that have completed the on-boarding process are encouraged to utilize the SWI IID (SO911) for all OGD release requests.”
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of March 25 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of March 20 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
The Public Health Agency of Canada said that workers who are essential for the movement of goods and people, such as truck drivers, railroaders, flight crews and mariners, will still be allowed to cross into Canada without having to self-isolate after arrival. “These workers are asked to closely self-monitor, and self-isolate immediately should they exhibit any symptoms. It is recommended that employers in these sectors conduct active daily monitoring of their staff for COVID-19 symptoms,” the Canadian government said.