More Industry Topics
• Japan-US agreed mutual AEO program (Sep 2009)
Japan Customs and Tariff Bureau in Ministry of Finance and U.S. Customs and Border Protection signed the mutual recognition agreement in AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) program.
The trade operators who have solid security standards and compliance structure are granted AEO status. With the mutual recognition agreement in US and Japan, such AEO will be treated as superior traders and benefit simpler and speedier customs procedures, contributing to the safer and smoother trade between US and Japan.
For Japan, this AEO mutual recognition is second agreement next to New Zealand. For U.S., this is 4th agreement, next to New Zealand, Canada, and Jordan. And it is the 5th, worldwide.
Mexico posted a surprise trade surplus in May as exports declined at a slower rate despite a flu outbreak. The country posted a $680 million trade surplus during the month, with exports sliding 33% from a year earlier, Mexico′s statistics agency said. Things are looking a little better, said Luis Chaires, who runs the company′s operations in Mexico and Latin America. An outbreak of a flu virus paralyzed parts of the Mexican economy in May, including several auto plants, but Mexican factory sentiment has generally improved in recent months, with readings pointing to smaller falls in future output. At the same time, many analysts don′t expect the economy will grow in annual terms until late this year at the earliest. • The current trends of the East Coast ports in Canada (May 2009)
While the current economic recession is still raging throughout the world, Canada is striving to implement some revival measures for their Atlantic trade. The port of Halifax, for example, has added the worlds third largest container lines for the lane connecting North America with the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Australasia. In addition, the port has been developing business with Asian container lines via the Suez Canal. The new service will offer competitive transit times for the Asian exports. This year, the Halifax Port Authority has earmarked about C$12.5 million for investments in cargo-related projects. The Halifax Port has decline in the volume of container cargo last year, but certain sectors, B/B, Ro/Ro, and Cruise, has yielded favorable results. • Retail import volume hits lowest level in seven years (April 2009)
The National Retail Foundation (NRF) and HIS Global Insight reported that the number of containers dropped below the 1 million container mark for the first time in half a decade,
According to Mr. Jonathan Gold, NRF Vice president for Supply Chain and Customs Policy, US ports are still going to see double-digit declines compared with last year, but the size of the gap is starting to narrow.
The first half of 2009 is estimated at 5.9 million TEU, down 21% from the first half of 2008.
• Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Wooden Packaging Material to Taiwan (Dec 2008)
Taiwan will adopt new wood packaging import rules from January 1st,2009. Click here for more details. • Taiwan to allow foreign ships to travel between Taiwan and China (Nov 2008)
Taiwan has reached a tacit agreement with China to allow foreign ships to sail directly between Taiwan and China and stop at Chinese and Taiwanese ports.• Increase of Russia duties could harm WTO talks (Nov 2008)
The European Union (EU) trade chief says plans by Russia to raise import duties could harm Moscow to join the World Trade Organization.• The new 10+2 Import Regulations (Oct 2008)
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued on January 2, 2008 a Notice of the security filing, known as 10+2, requiring importers and carriers to collect more detailed and advanced information on import cargo.