According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, merchandise trade volumes for the G7 countries as a whole continued to grow in the first quarter of 2010, but at a slower pace than in the fourth quarter of 2009.
As of September 1, 2010 importers and exporters of cattle, bison and sheep will be asked to provide their Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) or Agri-Traçabilité Québec (ATQ) database account number on animal health export certificates and import permits. Adding the database account number to import permits and export certificates will enhance Canada’s ability to track animals entering or leaving the country. Producers can contact the CCIA at 1-877-909-2333 or the ATQ at 1-866-270-4319 for their database account number.
The World Trade Organization Committee on Regional Trade Agreements has prepared a report on the regional free trade agreement between Peru and Singapore, which is the first regional trade agreement concluded by Peru with an Asian country.
The European Commission has published its Annual Report on EU Customs actions to enforce intellectual property rights. In 2009, EU Customs took action in 43,500 cases involving several million products suspected of being counterfeited or pirated. Cigarettes, clothing and brand labels were among the main articles stopped by customs on suspicion of IPR infringements. However, shampoos, toothpaste, toys, medicines and household appliances also accounted for a significant part. FAQ on EU IPR customs actions is available here.
The European Chemicals Agency is seeking comments by September 3, 2010 on the harmonized classification and labeling of 8:2 Fluorotelomer alcohol (8:2 FTOH) . The comment request is part of the EU Regulation on Classification, Labeling and Packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP Regulation), which allows individual EU Member States and industry to propose harmonized classification and labeling of substances (e.g. as mutagenic, carcinogenic, etc.).
In the July 21, 2010 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union, the following trade-related notices were posted:
At the first ever Clean Energy Ministerial in Washington, DC on July 20, 2010, European Commissioner for Energy Oettinger pledged the EC's active support for technology actions to promote energy efficiency of appliances worldwide, smart grids and renewable energy progress. The Clean Energy Ministerial is an initiative launched by the G8 process.
The World Customs Organization will hold its annual conference: “Building Momentum for an Effective Partnership” on October 6-7, 2010 at the Renaissance Polat Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey.
In the July 20, 2010 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union, the following trade-related notices were posted:
The European Commission has posted an updated overview of its ongoing free trade agreement negotiations. The overview lists countries, negotiating directives, current status, and next steps.