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1 - 05/08/12 Trade Is the New Stimulus
8 May 2012
The following is excerpted from a 7 May 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, delivered a keynote speech today focused squarely on the Harper government’s pro-trade plan for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity—the broadest economic expansion plan in Canadian history—to more than 100 members of the Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance during its three-day conference in Ottawa.
“Trade is the new stimulus,” said Minister Fast. “We need more trade, more investment and deeper partnerships to help strengthen the financial security of hard-working Canadians and Americans alike. There is no better job creator or economic growth generator than deeper trade. That’s why our government is continuing to take steps to make the Canada-U.S. partnership—the world’s greatest free trade success story—even stronger in the years ahead.”
This release is available in its entirety at:
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2 - 01/25/12 EU trade deal expected by summer
The following is excerpted from the 25 January 2012 edition of Embassy Magazine.
Relatively few issues remain within the Canada-European free trade talks, and officials expect the deal to be completed by the summer, European representatives say.
"The negotiations are still going on, but they are really getting down to details that need to be solved, and simply going on with a very good dynamic," said Tomás Dupla del Moral, director for the Americas for the European External Action Service, during a visit to Ottawa last week.
This article is available in its entirety at:
3 - 01/17/12 Bank of Canada maintains overnight rate target at 1 per cent
17 January 2012
The following is excerpted from a 17 January 2012 news release by the Bank of Canada.
The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1 per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 1 1/4 per cent and the deposit rate is 3/4 per cent.
The outlook for the global economy has deteriorated and uncertainty has increased since the Bank released its October Monetary Policy Report (MPR). The sovereign debt crisis in Europe has intensified, conditions in international financial markets have tightened and risk aversion has risen. The recession in Europe is now expected to be deeper and longer than the Bank had anticipated in October. The Bank continues to assume that European authorities will implement sufficient measures to contain the crisis, although this assumption is clearly subject to downside risks. In the United States, while the rebound in real GDP during the second half of 2011 was stronger than anticipated, the Bank expects the U.S. recovery will proceed at a more modest pace going forward, owing to ongoing household deleveraging, fiscal consolidation and the spillovers from Europe. Chinese growth is decelerating as expected towards a more sustainable pace. Commodity prices – with the exception of oil – are expected to be below the levels anticipated in the October MPR through 2013...
This release is available in its entirety at:
http://www.bankofcanada.ca/2012/01/press-releases/fad-press-release-2012-01-17/
4 - 12/19/11 D-98-08: Entry Requirements for Wood Packaging Material into Canada
19 December 2011
Eighth revision, dated December 15th, 2011, is to assign the accurate responsibilities in the management of non-compliant ship borne dunnage (Section 4.1).
5 - 11/28/11 Government Fosters Jobs and Growth With More Tariff Cuts
The following is excerpted from a 27 November 2011 news release by the Department of Finance Canada. Please note that the tariff changes referred to in this Finance Canada notice will appear in the December 7th Canada Gazette and the consultations that resulted in these tariff reductions were noted in Part I of the Canada Gazette on February 5, 2011.
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced further tariff relief for Canada’s manufacturers, which will eliminate 70 tariff items and is expected to save Canadian businesses about $32 million annually...
This release is available in its entirety at:
6 - 11/23/11 Food Safety Modernization Act - Requests for Comment
There are still opportunities for industry to comment on certain Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA) dockets.
Those that are open for comment, with closing dates, are listed below.
(1) Burden of FSMA Fee Amounts on Small Business. Comment Period Extended to November 30, 2011
(2) FSMA Domestic and Foreign Facility Reinspections, Recall, and Importer Reinspection User Fee Rates for Fiscal Year 2012 Comment Period Extended to November 30, 2011
(3) Request for information on preventive controls, to inform the development of FDA guidance. Deadline December 20, 2011
(4) Draft Guidance: New Dietary Ingredient Notification and Related Issues Draft Guidance for Industry Docket Number: FDA-2011-D-0376 Comment period closes December 2, 2011
(5) What you Need to Know About Administrative Detention of Foods Guidance for Industry Docket Number: FDA-2011-D-0643 Comments can be submitted anytime
(6) Implementation of the Fee Provisions of Section 107 of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Guidance for Industry Docket Number: FDA-2011-D-0721 Comments can be submitted anytime
(7) Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance for Industry Docket Number: FDA- 2011-D-0287 Comments can be submitted anytime
Official Government of Canada comments will not be submitted for these dockets; however, they are encouraging industry to submit comments, if deemed appropriate, directly to the FDA through the comment submission process.
For more information regarding the dockets, please visit the FDA's FSMA "Dockets Open for Comment" web page at:
7 - 11/15/11 Barley Products Tariff Rate Quota
8 - 10/04/11 What is the Border Information Service (BIS)?
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is committed to providing timely information to the public. Our goal is to continually improve our service to better suit your needs and expectations.
BIS is a computerized, 24 hour bilingual telephone service that automatically answers all incoming calls and provides general border services information. You can use a touch tone telephone to hear recorded information on several topics.
Additional information is available on CBSA's website at:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5051-eng.html
9 - 09/13/11 CBSA investigates the dumping and subsidizing of certain pup joints
13 September 2011
The following is excerpted from a 12 September 2011 news release by Canada Border Services Agency.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today that it is initiating investigations into the alleged injurious dumping and subsidizing of certain pup joints originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China. Pup joints are oil country tubular goods made of carbon or alloy steel...
This release is available in its entirety at:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/antidumping/2011/2011-09-12-eng.html
10 - 07/04/11 Harper Government's Canada Consumer Product Safety Act Comes into Force
The following is excerpted from a 20 June 2011 news release by Health Canada.
Today, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Canada's Health Minister, and the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs, are pleased to announce that the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act is now the law of the land. The Act will replace 40-year old legislation with modern laws to protect Canadians from unsafe products.
This release is available in its entirety on the Health Canada website at:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/_2011/2011_81-eng.php
11 - 06/23/11 Canada Consumer Product Safety Act - new resources available
NEW Resources on the Health Canada website about the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA):
Guidance on Preparing and Maintaining Documents under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) - Section 13
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/legislation/pol/doc_13-eng.php
Canada Consumer Product Safety Act - Information for Retailers
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/indust/ccpsa_retail-lcspc_detail/index-eng.php
Consumer Product Incident Report Form - For Industry
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/advisories-avis/incident/index-eng.php
12 - 06/10/11 Canada's Job Market Shows Continued Strength
The following is excerpted from an article by Eric Thomson, Economist, Conference Board of Canada.
Employment continues to rise, with the Canadian economy adding 22,000 more workers in May. Higher employment, coupled with a declining labour force, pushed the unemployment rate down to 7.4 per cent. And part-time employment fell as more workers transitioned into full-time jobs. The fact that all of the job gains were in the private sector and self-employment category is another positive sign...
The article is available in its entirety on the Conference Board of Canada website at:
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/reports/cmaag/2011/cmaag062011.aspx
13 - 06/06/11 Enhanced Surveillance on Certain Fresh Produce from the European Union
OTTAWA, June 3, 2011: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), in collaboration with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), will be implementing enhanced controls on cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes from the European Union due to current E. coli outbreak in Europe.
There is no indication that any contaminated product has been shipped to Canada. In fact, the amount of fresh product imported from European countries account for less than one per cent of fresh product entering Canada.
However, as a safety precaution, incoming shipments from the European Union will be identified and the CFIA will intensify sampling and testing of these products for the presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, the E. coli strain linked to the outbreak in Europe.
The CFIA will continue to work closely with the European Union, as well as other trading partners and international organizations. As German government officials are still investigating the cause of the E. coli outbreak in Europe, these measures will be adjusted, as warranted, to ensure the Canadian food supply remains protected.
The CFIA's enhanced surveillance controls will add an additional safeguard to Canada's existing import controls. CFIA maintains rigorous controls and tracking systems for imported food.
For more information on E. coli, please see the CFIA website at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/ecolie.shtml
Consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
14 - 05/16/11 Canada Consumer Product Safety Act - Information Session for Industry
Invitation From Health Canada:
Information Session for Industry - Manufacturers, Importers, Distributors and Retailers - on the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act
Industry is invited to attend a free half-day information session to learn about this new legislation, which is coming into force on June 20th, 2011. There are new requirements you need to know about including:
You may register now (http://surveys-sondages.hc-sc.gc.ca/s/ccpsa-infosession-lcspc-seanceinfo-eng/) or visit our web site (www.healthcanada.gc.ca/productsafety) for further information. In order to secure your participation, please note that you are required to register online at least 7 days before the session you would like to attend.
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15 - 05/06/11 Canada employment picks up steam in April
The following is excerpted from the 6 May 2011 edition of Reuters Canada.
Canada's economy created far more jobs than expected in April and recovered all the full-time positions lost in the recession, setting the stage for solid second-quarter growth and interest rate hikes later this year.
Net job creation totaled 58,300 in the month, Statistics Canada said on Friday, shortly before the United States reported that it too had robust job gains in April...
This article is available in its entirety on the Reuters Canada website at:
http://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCATRE7451R620110506
16 - 03/21/11 U.S./Canada pallets makers prepare for ISPM 15
The following is from the 16 March 2011 edition of the American Shipper.
Many U.S. wood pallet makers say they are ready for requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that will require all wood pallets moving between the countries to be treated in line with international standards against wood-eating pests.
It's coming,said Bruce Scholnick, president and chief executive officer of the Alexandria, Va.-based National Wooden Pallet and Container Association, in an interview.Heat treating is a well regarded and effective instrument against non-native invasive species.
The elimination of the U.S.-Canadian bilateral agreement on wood pallets was a key topic at the NWPCA's annual conference in late February.Our members are prepared, Scholnick said.
On Dec. 2, 2010, APHIS proposed regulations to remove an exemption that allows wood packaging materials from Canada to enter the United States without first meeting treatment and marking requirements that apply to these materials from all other countries.
The agency said the action is needed to prevent the introduction and spread of pests via wood packaging materials from Canada.
In 2004, APHIS amended its treatment regulations for imported wood packaging materials, such as pallets, crates, boxes, and blocking and bracing, to correspond with standards established by the International Plant Protection Convention's International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15. This standard requires these materials to be either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide and marked with the approved IPPC symbol.
APHIS said the less restrictive requirements for Canadian wood packaging materials were initially based on the premise that U.S. forests share both a common boundary with Canada and, to a reasonable degree, the same forest pests. However, a recent agency risk analysis found there are unique forest pests and pathogens to Canada that have the potential to be introduced or reintroduced into the United States via the movement of untreated wood packaging materials.
Among the pests of concern for APHIS in the U.S.-Canadian cross-border trade are the brown spruce longhorned beetle, European oak borer, emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle, European woodwasp, the fungus Ophiostoma tetropii, and vascular wilt.
CFIA agrees with APHIS on a need for a harmonized approach to ending the exemption from ISPM 15 on wood packaging materials moving between Canada and United States.
While APHIS has yet to set its final implementation date for the rule ending the ISPM 15 exemption for Canadian wood pallets, the agency said there will be a period of informed compliance.During this time, wood packaging material that is not treated will be allowed to enter. However, the carrier will be notified that the materials will be required to comply once ISPM 15 is fully implemented, which is expected after a period of 32 months, Scholnick explained.
What is important for shippers to know is that during the informed compliance period, if insect infestation is found, loads will either be refused or treatment required prior to entering,said Gary Sharon, vice president of Litco International.For companies shipping back and forth between Canada and the U.S., now is the time to convert to ISPM 15 approved export pallets and other packaging to avoid unnecessary costs and delays.
Vienna, Ohio-based Litco, a member of NWPCA, manufacturers presswood pallets and packaging material, which meet the ISPM 15 requirements without heat treatment or fumigation.
17 - 03/16/11 Public Consultation on Canada-U.S. Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness
The following is excerpted from a 13 March 2011 news release by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.
The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, and the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec), acting on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the launch of a public consultation on the shared vision for Canada-U.S. perimeter security and economic competitiveness enunciated February 4, 2011, in a joint declaration by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama.
“The Government of Canada is focusing on creating jobs and expanding economic growth through free, open and secure trade with the United States,” said Minister Van Loan, speaking at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, Ontario. “We are seeking Canadians’ input on ways both countries can move forward to a safer, more secure and prosperous future. I invite all interested parties to make their views known.”
“We are committed to consulting with Canadians on the implementation of the shared vision for perimeter security and economic competitiveness,” said Minister of State Lebel...
As stated in the Declaration, the Government of Canada will engage with all levels of government and with communities, non-governmental organizations and the private sector, as well as with our citizens, on innovative approaches to security and competitiveness. This consultation will inform the development of a joint Canada-United States action plan that will set out a range of initiatives in four key areas of cooperation to promote security and support trade and economic growth...
This release is available in its entirety on the DFAIT website at:
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2011/099.aspx?lang=eng
18 - 03/04/11 CONSULTATIONS ON POSSIBLE NEGOTIATIONS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH JAPAN
www.canadainternational.gc.ca/japan-japon/index.aspx?lang=eng
GOVERNMENT NOTICES
CONSULTATIONS ON POSSIBLE NEGOTIATIONS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH JAPAN
The Government of Canada is seeking the views of Canadians on the scope of a possible comprehensive economic partnership agreement between Canada and Japan.
This notice is part of the Government of Canada’s domestic consultation process with business, citizen-based organizations and individual Canadians, as well as with provincial and territorial governments, to obtain advice and views on priorities, objectives and concerns to help outline the parameters of this initiative.
Background
Japan is a global economic power with significant influence in Asia, and one of Canada’s most important economic and commercial partners. It is Canada’s largest bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI) partner in Asia. In 2009, Japan’s foreign direct investment stock in Canada totalled $13.1 billion. The stock of Canadian direct investment in Japan at the end of 2009 stood at $3.6 billion. Japan is also Canada’s fifth-largest partner in two-way merchandise trade (second in Asia after China). Canada’s exports of merchandise to Japan totalled $8.3 billion in 2009 while imports from Japan were $12.3 billion. The largest single Canadian merchandise export item to Japan is coal, valued at $1.8 billion, followed by canola seeds ($932.6 million). Canadian exports of services to Japan in 2009 totalled $1.0 billion.
Japan is a priority market in the Government of Canada’s Global Commerce Strategy. It is home to 64 Fortune Global 500 corporations and is the world’s largest exporter to China. It thus represents not only a large and lucrative market in itself, but also a gateway to mainland Asia. Japan has often been characterized as one of the world’s most innovative countries. Japan is thus a country that represents a range of trade, investment and innovation cooperation opportunities for Canadian firms.
The Government is actively seeking ways to support two-way investment and to facilitate joint Canada–Japan innovation projects and partnerships, with emphasis on advanced materials, information and communication technologies (ICT), aerospace and defence, environmental industries, agriculture, food and beverages, forest-based building products, consumer products and medical technology.
In November 2005, the Canadian and Japanese prime ministers signed an Economic Framework designed to reinforce existing commercial ties and address new and emerging challenges and opportunities. A joint study by Canada and Japan, concluded in October 2007, highlighted positive economic relations between Canada and Japan and indicated that more could be done to strengthen our commercial ties. To supplement the previous study, the Government of Canada is seeking the views of Canadians in this second exercise with the Government of Japan to examine the possibility and scope of a possible comprehensive economic partnership agreement.
Japan has completed negotiations and signed economic partnership agreements (EPA) with Singapore (2002), Mexico (2004), Malaysia (2005), the Philippines (2006), Chile (2007), Brunei (2007), Thailand (2007), Indonesia (2007), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN — 2008), Vietnam (2008), and Switzerland (2009). Japan has also launched negotiations and joint studies with several other countries, including Australia and Mongolia. Japan and Canada have
19 - 03/04/11 Wood Packaging Material Moving Between Canada and the United States
OTTAWA, February 14, 2011 : The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) are moving forward to remove the current exemption for wood packaging being shipped between the two countries, as outlined in the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 15. This action is necessary to prevent the introduction of new forest pests, as well as slow the spread of forest pests already established in North America.
This standard requires wood packaging to be heat-treated or fumigated with methyl bromide. Wood packaging moving between Canada and the continental United States has been exempted from this requirement because it was thought that existing pest-specific regulatory controls were providing sufficient protection.
With a number of invasive species being introduced into the two countries, the CFIA and the USDA-APHIS have jointly agreed to begin enforcing the international standard.
Canada and the United States are working together on implementation of the standard, including a phased-in approach based on consultation processes in each country.
After implementation, shipments with wood packaging material found to be non-compliant will not be permitted to enter the country of destination. If live pests are detected, the importer may also be required to treat the shipment to prevent pest escape, before having it returned to the country of origin.
Canada adopted ISPM No. 15 in 2004, to prevent invasive species from outside North America being introduced into Canada.
For more information on the implementation of ISPM No. 15 in Canada, please visit www.inspection.gc.ca.
The Government of Canada is committed to protecting our forests by preventing the introduction and spread of invasive plant pests, which can seriously harm Canada’s environment, forests and plant resources.
For information:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media relations: 613-773-6600
20 - 02/01/11 77YY Itinerant Highway Carrier Code
31 January 2011
77YY Itinerant Highway Carrier Code
With the implementation of eManifest, all carriers will be required to use a CBSA-assigned carrier code and the use of itinerant carrier codes will be eliminated. As such, effective April 1, 2011, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will no longer accept the “77YY” itinerant highway carrier code.
We are requesting your assistance in distributing the attached information sheet to encourage members of your association currently using code “77YY” to obtain a unique, CBSA-assigned, carrier code. Information on obtaining a carrier code can be found on the CBSA Web site at
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services/carrier-transporteur/menu-eng.html.
21 - 01/26/11 International Customs Day 2011
The following message is from Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General, World Customs Organization (WCO) regarding International Customs Day 2011.
Knowledge is now a definitive part of today's political and business environment. Terms such as a 'knowledge-based society', the 'knowledge economy' and 'knowledge management' now abound and it stands to reason that knowledge has become just as important for Customs administrations and their international trade stakeholders.
Indeed, harnessing knowledge and using its power to become visionary, relevant and indispensable is one of the keys to success. The WCO realised this in 2008 when it adopted its Customs in the 21st Century vision in which 'a professional, knowledge-based service culture' is recognized as one of the ten building blocks of a modern Customs administration.
Hence my decision to designate 2011 as the WCO Year of Knowledge with the theme: "Knowledge, a catalyst for Customs excellence”. Excellence is what we should be aiming at as a Customs community and I firmly believe that knowledge is indeed a catalyst, a critical tool that will help us to excel in what we do best: protect society, secure the supply chain, facilitate trade, and ensure the integrity of borders.
In our fast-moving world, Customs administrations need to continuously adjust, often rapidly, to social, economic and political developments. They have to change in response to their experience; monitoring their operations, their environment, and their partners for clues to the efficiency and effectiveness of their performance and delivery.
If we want to remain visionary, relevant and indispensable, we need to adopt a new approach to knowledge and learning. It is crucial that we consider knowledge as a means to empower the WCO and its 177 Members because it is an essential Customs resource that needs to be rationalized, managed and applied as part of a continuous learning process.
At the organizational level, Customs managers need empirically-based and thought-provoking research, quality information and reliable intelligence on which to base their strategic decision-making and leadership in order to manage change and guide their organizations cogently.
On the other hand, at the operational level, the continuous strengthening of know-how and competencies is fundamental if Customs managers want to maintain their efficiency and performance to respond confidently to the many challenges posed by the international Customs environment.
Knowledge creation is triggered by dialogue and collective reflection: information comes from an individual’s experience and understanding; subtle techniques accumulated over time. This body of experience and information becomes knowledge that can easily be processed and disseminated thus enabling others to be enriched too.
The different meetings and events organized by the WCO and its partners throughout the year facilitate dialogue and interaction. For this reason, I strongly encourage all WCO Members and other global trade stakeholders to actively participate in these meetings so that information can be shared and knowledge built from this pool of experience and expertise.
Technology too has an important role to play in taking forward our knowledge agenda. People are now able to meet and exchange information online. The WCO took advantage of these developments when it launched its own online think-tank, known as Club de la Réforme; a virtual meeting place for Customs officers and researchers to enhance their knowledge on topical Customs and international trade issues.
Academic research is also a source of knowledge. The WCO has established partnerships with universities to promote research on a range of issues that impact Customs and trade with many of them now offering high-end education which meets international standards for the Customs profession. Also, the research tea
22 - 01/25/11 Obama links job growth to exports
The following is excerpted from the 24 January 2011 edition of the "American Shipper".
In another sign of outreach to the business community, President Barack Obama on Friday named General Electric Chairman and Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt to head the new White House Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
And in a speech at a GE plant in Schenectady, N.Y., the president foreshadowed the main theme of next week’s State of the Union address and his re-election campaign will be the nation’s economic turnaround.
Pointing to the innovation and productivity of the American workforce, Obama said, “Our challenge is to do everything we can to make it easier for folks to bring products to market and to start and expand new businesses, and to grow and hire new workers.”
He said the tax-cut compromise he signed last month helps do that by providing incentives to businesses to make capital investments.
A critical part of the administration’s strategy to re-energize the economy is to promote the manufacturing sector and its ability to export its products to the rest of the world. Last year Obama rolled out his National Export Initiative designed to double exports within five years, and the White House recently revised a languishing trade agreement with South Korea that allows more access to that market for U.S. automakers and beef producers.
Obama has also tried to portray China, which has a huge trade surplus with the United States, as a major export opportunity. Obama announced $45 billion worth of deals recently struck by U.S. companies with China, including $19 billion for Boeing aircraft, during Chinese President Hu’s visit to Washington last week.
“In an ever-shrinking world, our success in these efforts will be determined not only by what we build in Schenectady, but also what we can sell in Shanghai. For America to compete around the world, we need to export more goods around the world. That’s where the customers are. It’s that simple,” Obama said.
America’s trade deficit is a function of too much past borrowing by consumers for goods, many of which are made in other countries,” the president said. “We’ve got to reverse that. We want an economy that’s fueled by what we invent and what we build. We’re going back to Thomas Edison’s principles. We’re going to build stuff and invent stuff.”
Obama said he was putting Immelt in charge of the new advisory board to help the government and industry promote job growth and competitiveness. Among its goals will be to spur manufacturing in clean energy industries, investment in infrastructure and worker training.
The rest of the panel has yet to be named.
The moves represent an effort by the White House to pivot from economic crisis management to economic expansion. The economy has been out of recession for more than 18 months, but it is not growing fast enough to undo the damage from the financial crisis and put millions of people back to work. Economists expect Gross Domestic Product to be 3 percent to 4 percent this year. About 1.1 million jobs were created last year (1.3 million in the private sector minus layoffs by governments), but two to three times that number is necessary to significantly reduce the 9.4 percent unemployment rate.
“The past two years were about pulling our economy back from the brink. The next two years, our job now is putting our economy into overdrive,” Obama said. “Our job is to do everything we can to ensure that businesses can take root and folks can find good jobs and America is leading the global competition that will determine our success in the 21st century.”
Obama has heavily leaned on Immelt, who heads one of the nation’s most iconic and successful companies. GE is a huge conglomerate
23 - 01/19/11 Harper Government to Reduce Exposure to Phthalates
The following is a 18 January 2011 news release by Health Canada.
Today, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, and Pierre Poilievre, Member of Parliament for Nepean-Carleton, announced new regulations that will restrict the use of six phthalates in toys and child care articles in order to limit exposure to children and infants.
Phthalates are a family of chemicals commonly used to make vinyl plastic, otherwise known as polyvinyl chloride or PVC, soft and flexible. Research suggests that certain phthalates may cause health effects in young children when soft vinyl toys and child care articles are sucked or chewed.
"When the Consumer Product Safety Act comes into force in June, the Harper Government will begin a new era of consumer product safety for Canadians," said Minister Aglukkaq. "Today, we are again acting to make the toys and products that young Canadians use even safer. New regulations will ensure products that are imported, sold or advertised in Canada do not present a risk of phthalate exposure to children and infants."
Since 1998, phthalates have voluntarily not been used by industry in soft vinyl pacifiers, teethers, rattles, baby bottle nipples and other products intended to be mouthed by children and infants. Given that children may suck or chew items such as vinyl bibs and bath, squeeze or inflatable toys, our Government has introduced these regulations to keep Canadian families safer.
"I applaud the government's actions to limit the presence of this chemical in children's products," said Rick Smith, Executive Director of Environmental Defence Canada. "Canada's Phthalates Regulations are now aligned with measures taken in the United States and the European Union and will ensure our children receive the same high level of protection."
Over the past year, the Harper Government has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to consumer product safety under its Food and Consumer Safety Action through new regulations on lead, cribs and cradles, and surface coating materials.
24 - 01/18/11 Carney keeps rate at 1%
The following is from the 18 January 2011 edition of "cbc.ca".
The Bank of Canada elected to hold its benchmark overnight lending rate steady at one per cent in its latest policy decision on Tuesday.
"The global economic recovery is proceeding at a somewhat faster pace than the bank had anticipated, although risks remain elevated," the bank said in a statement.
"Any further reduction in monetary policy stimulus would need to be carefully considered."
The statement gave no clear indication as to when the bank might start raising rates again.
After cutting the rate to a record low of 0.25 per cent during the recession, the central bank raised the rate in June, July and September before standing pat in its three policy decisions since then.
Economists were expecting the bank to not change the rate — especially after the federal government moved to cool the housing market further on Monday by tinkering with mortgage rules.
However, the C.D. Howe policy council recommended last week that the time had come to start edging the rate toward meeting a target of 2.5 per cent by the end of the year...
This release is available in its entirety on the CBC website at:
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2011/01/18/interest-rates-carney.html
25 - 01/18/11 Sixth round of trade negotiations...Canada and EU
Sixth round of trade negotiations between Canada and European Union
The following is a 18 January 2011 release by DFAIT.
Minister Van Loan announced the beginning of the sixth round of trade negotiations with European Union toward a comprehensive economic and trade agreement.
Canada and the European Union have held five successful rounds of negotiations toward an agreement since October 2009. To date, significant progress has been achieved in such areas as goods, services, investment and government procurement, as well as many others.
Canada committed to broad and ambitious trade deal with Europe. The seventh round of negotiations is scheduled for April in Ottawa.
This release is available in its entirety on the DFAIT website at:
http://www.international.gc.ca/commerce/visit-visite/eu-canada-ue-6.aspx?lang=eng
26 - 01/18/11 D19-7-2,...Ozone-depleting Substances and Products
18 January 2011
D19-7-2, Requirements Concerning the Importation and Exportation of Ozone-depleting Substances and Products
1. Memorandum D19-7-2 has been updated and replaces the previous Memorandum D19-7-2, dated February 10, 2010.
2. Main revisions to this memorandum include additional information on controlling HCFCs, specifically HCFC-22, HCFC-141b and HCFC-142b, and reflect organizational changes within Environment Canada and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Appendices C and D have also been updated to reflect the actual list of countries that are a Party to the Montreal Protocol and the list of developing countries for the export of controlled products that contain or are designed to contain an ozone-depleting substance. Memorandum D19-7-2 reflects amendments to the Ozone-depleting Substances Regulations, 1998, and outlines procedures for the importation and exportation of ozone-depleting substances.
3. The Ozone-depleting Substances Regulations, 1998 reflect Canada’s commitment to meet its requirements under the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol). The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement signed by 196 countries to control the production and consumption of certain ozone-depleting substances. The Regulations are intended to further reduce emissions of ozone-depleting substances by controlling the import and export of ozone-depleting substances, products containing ozone-depleting substances and products designed to contain ozone-depleting substances.
This Memo is available on the CBSA website at:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d19/d19-7-2-eng.html
27 - 01/18/11 Update to D7-4-2, Duty Drawback Program
18 January 2011
D7-4-2, Duty Drawback Program
1. This In Brief page has been revised to denote changes made as a result of the Government of Canada’s Paperwork Burden Reduction Initiative. The revisions are aimed at eliminating obsolete and duplicated requirements. This revision replaces Memorandum D7-4-2 dated January 31, 1996.
2. In accordance with the above, the following changes were made:
a. All information regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement can be found by referencing D7-4-3, NAFTA Requirements for Drawback and Duty Deferral.
b. All links to forms and reference material, including the Goods Imported and Exported Refund and Drawback Regulations, are located under the heading Additional Information of this memorandum.
This Memo is available on the CBSA website at:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d7/d7-4-2-eng.html
28 - 01/05/11 Certain Metal Bar Grating of Carbon, Alloy or...
Certain Metal Bar Grating of Carbon, Alloy or Stainless Steel originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China, Statement of Reasons
4214-29 AD/1389
4218-28 CV/126
DECISION
Pursuant to subsection 38(1) of the Special Import Measures Act, the President of the Canada Border Services Agency made preliminary determinations of dumping and subsidizing on December 20, 2010, respecting the alleged injurious dumping and subsidizing of certain metal bar grating of carbon, alloy or stainless steel, consisting of load-bearing pieces and cross pieces, produced as standard grating or heavy-duty grating, in panel form, whether galvanized, painted, coated, clad or plated, originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China.
To view the entire Statement of Reasons, please visit the CBSA website at:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/sima-lmsi/i-e/ad1389/ad1389-i10-pd-eng.html
29 - 01/04/11 Canadian dollar boosted by strong oil prices
The following is from the 4 January 2011 edition of "cbc.ca".
The Canadian dollar kicked off the new year above parity with the U.S. dollar as oil prices hit a two-year high.
The loonie gained 0.13 cents to 100.67 cents US.
Recent strength in the Canadian dollar has been fuelled by higher crude prices.
The February crude contract was unchanged at $91.54 US a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Meanwhile, the February gold contract slipped $25.10 to $1,397.80. The March copper contract on the Nymex lost one cent to $4.44.
The Canadian dollar closed above parity against the American currency Friday, up 0.54 of a cent to 100.54 cents US, its highest close since May 2008.
The U.S. dollar lost ground against most G7 currencies on thin trading over the holidays.
Investors are looking toward North American employment data set to be released Friday that will impact the direction of the Canadian and U.S.
Good news will help the Canadian dollar gain further traction and bad news could see it slip.
30 - 01/04/11 Certain Carbon Steel Welded Pipe - 2010, Notice of revised schedule
Dumping file #: 4214-16
Dumping case #: AD/1373
Subsidy file #: 4218-24
Subsidy case #: cv/123
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has today revised the schedule concerning its re-investigation, pursuant to the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA), in respect of certain carbon steel welded pipe originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China.
Please note that the re-investigation will now be concluded on February 14, 2011. The advancement of the conclusion date has affected other deadlines within the proceeding. The revised schedule can be found on the CBSA's website under the heading Certain Carbon Steel Welded Pipe at http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/sima-lmsi/ri-re/menu-eng.html.
The notice is available on the CBSA website at:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/sima-lmsi/ri-re/ad1373/ad1373-ri10-nrs-eng.html
31 - 01/04/11 Ontario manufacturing sector rebounds
The following is from the 29 December 2010 edition of "cbc.ca".
Ontario's manufacturing sector is starting to slowly recover from the effects of the worldwide recession, according to a report released Wednesday.
"In short, 2010 was a much better year for Ontario manufacturing than the preceding years were," according to the report by the Ontario Manufacturing Council, a government advisory group comprised of business and labour leaders.
Shipments between January and September were up 14 per cent year-over-year, said the report, using numbers provided by Statistics Canada.
Slightly more than 16,000 jobs had been added in the same time frame, the report said, accounting for a 1.7 per cent increase, seasonally adjusted. Manufacturing sector exports also went up 15 per cent.
"The industry has survived unprecedented challenge, through the global financial crisis of 2008-09 and the resulting worldwide recession," the report said.
Still 'much damage to repair'
But it also cautioned that there is still "much damage to repair."
Manufacturing output and employment are still well below pre-recession levels — there were 796,800 manufacturing jobs at the end of 2009, down from 901,000 jobs at the end of 2008.
Meanwhile, a strong dollar could jeopardize a potential recovery, the report said.
"The last thing we need to see now is the dollar shooting up further. That would make it hard to maintain that positive momentum," said Jim Stanford, vice chair of the council and the chief economist for the Canadian Auto Workers.
The loonie has surged in recent weeks and surpassed parity with the U.S. dollar on Tuesday, the first time it has done so since Nov. 20. Stanford cautioned that predicting the rise and fall of the dollar is a "speculative business," and he did not want to say how he expects it will do at the end of 2011.
"It does look like the dollar is strengthening, though, not weakening. That's going to make the challenge of rebuilding our manufacturing sector that much harder," he said
"Now there are some silver linings. Imported machinery is cheaper ... it's not all doom and gloom. But on a net basis no doubt that a high dollar hurts manufacturing and any other industry that services an international market."
32 - 01/04/11 Canada's economy grows 0.2% in October
The following is from the 23 December 2010 edition of "cbc.ca".
Canada's real gross domestic product increased 0.2 per cent in October, Statistics Canada said Thursday.
That's a reversal from the 0.1 per cent decline in the value of goods and services produced in September.
The increase was less than some economists were predicting.
Mining and oil and gas extraction were the main sources of economic growth, advancing 2.4 per cent, Statistics Canada said. Oil and gas extraction, the biggest component, was up 1.3 per cent, "almost entirely on the strength of natural gas."
Mining, the second-largest factor in the resource group, rose 2.7 per cent as production at copper, nickel, lead and zinc mines rebounded to levels seen in the spring of 2009.
The third and smallest factor, support work — drilling, rigging and mining exploration — surged 9.9 per cent from September, when bad weather hampered rigging.
The public sector — education, health and administration — also grew, as did the wholesale trade and the catchall category "other."
But manufacturing fell 0.6 per cent, particularly manufacturers of non-durable goods, who cut production by 2.3 per cent. Durable goods makers increased output by 0.8 per cent.
Utilities, finance and insurance, construction, the retail trade and agriculture also fell.
Home resales rose in several parts of the country, helping the output of real estate agents and brokers, but construction fell 0.5 per cent, with a drop in residential building.
33 - 01/04/11 Flaherty rethinks Canada’s budget
The following is from the 23 December 2010 edition of “thestar.com”
Enduring global economic troubles are forcing Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to rethink plans to use his next budget to mount a rigid crackdown on stimulus spending, he disclosed in a year-end interview.
The Conservative government will continue Ottawa's main infrastructure program, the seven-year, $33 billion Building Canada fund. And Flaherty said federal funding that has helped Ontario and other provinces retrain workers during the recession will keep flowing.
Flaherty, who took over as finance minister in the upbeat economic mood of early 2006, seems weighed down by the burden of shepherding Canadians into an era of fading prosperity.
“We're expecting modest growth — not the kind of growth we had in the 10 years leading up to the recession,” he glumly told the Toronto Star.
He admitted that overcoming the worldwide slump has proven tougher than he and other Group of Seven finance ministers had expected.
“We didn't anticipate around the table that we would have so much difficulty this year with Greece and Ireland and others,” he said, recalling discussions last winter with his counterparts from the United States, Britain, France, Japan, Germany and Italy.
The Canadian economy, which appeared to be roaring back to life a year ago, has been dragged down by a persistently poor economic performance in the United States, Canada's most important trading partner. Canada's economic growth slowed to one per cent in the July-through-September period. And instability in debt-burdened Greece, Ireland and Portugal has raised the threat of another round of global financial shocks.
“The economic recovery is moderating and the outlook remains uncertain,” the Washington-based International Monetary Fund said of Canada in an assessment released Thursday. “Looking ahead, risks are elevated and tilted to the downside with high household debt levels the main domestic risk, and a weaker U.S. outlook the largest external risk,” the IMF concluded.
Having run up the biggest federal budget deficits ever ($100 billion-plus over two years), Flaherty had been pledging for more than a year to turn off the stimulus spending tap abruptly as of March 31 to begin putting Canada's financial house in order.
But, based on what Flaherty has been hearing in pre-budget consultations, that restraint strategy has run smack into Canadians' worries about the weakness of the recovery.
“What I'm hearing really sounds a lot to me like cautious restraint,” he said in an interview in his Parliament Hill office. “Nothing draconian is being asked for. People do want us to move toward a balanced budget, but they do not want us to do that at the expense of jobs and growth and the economy.”
He is now describing the upcoming budget in February or March as a “pragmatic” set of policies that will balance the need for economic stimulus with the need to begin emphasizing government restraint in Ottawa.
“People want to ensure that, for example, the federal government does not reduce transfers (to the provinces) for health care, and we will not.”
Flaherty pointed out that the government has already backed down on its plan to cut off funding for all federally supported infrastructure projects that are not completed by the end of the 2010-11 fiscal year on March 31.
With the iffy recovery in mind, the Conservatives have also partly backtracked on the much-criticized plan to hike payroll taxes that was buried in the last federal budget.
While the two-year, $47 billion emergency stimulus program will wind down starting March 31, Ottawa will still be pouring money into infrastructure projects, Flaherty noted.
“We have the Building Canada Fund, for instance, and it will continue,” he said in reference to the $33 billion program
34 - 01/04/11 Canada reaches an expanded air transport agreement with Egypt
The following is a 21 December 2010 news release by Transport Canada.
The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, today announced that an expanded air transport agreement has been concluded with Egypt.
“I am pleased to announce that an expanded air agreement has been reached with Egypt, which will benefit both our countries,” said Minister Strahl. “This expanded agreement better responds to the needs of travellers between Canada and Egypt, and puts in place a framework that allows more convenient, direct air services.”
This expanded agreement allows airlines to operate more flights between Canada and Egypt, and provides airlines with the flexibility to adjust their prices for travel between Canada and Egypt according to market forces. Airlines may also choose to offer air services using the flights of other airlines, commonly known as code-sharing services. The air transport agreement contains strong provisions dealing with aviation safety and security, reflecting the importance of these subjects to both countries.
“This new agreement will support Canada’s strong and diverse commercial relationship with Egypt, a regional centre for trade and investment,” said Minister Van Loan. “Our government is committed to facilitating the movement of goods, services and people around the world, and this new agreement will help Canadian companies to do just that.”
The agreement is being applied on an administrative basis, allowing airlines to offer new services immediately. Once ratified, the expanded agreement will replace the 1987 Canada-Egypt bilateral air transport agreement.
Since the launch of the Blue Sky policy in November 2006, the Government of Canada has negotiated air transport agreements with more than 50 countries, including:
35 - 01/04/11 Aquatic Animal Health Update
New Measures Protect Canada's Aquatic Industry
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/newcom/2010/20101222e.shtml
New regulations came into effect today that will better safeguard the health of the domestic industry from the import of aquatic animal disease, enhance domestic surveillance and put into place an emergency plan to respond to disease outbreaks.
36 - 01/04/11 D15-2-8, Refined Sugar...
D15-2-8, Refined Sugar Originating In or Exported From the United States of America
This Memo is available on the CBSA website at:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d15/d15-2-8-eng.html
37 - 01/04/11 D15-2-53, Certain Thermoelectric Containers...
D15-2-53, Certain Thermoelectric Containers Originating In or Exported From the People's Republic of China
This Memo is available on the CBSA website at:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d15/d15-2-53-eng.html
38 - 01/04/11 D15-2-59, Certain Mattress Innserspring Units...
D15-2-59, Certain Mattress Innserspring Units Originating In or Exported From the People's Republic of China
This Memo is available on the CBSA website at:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d15/d15-2-59-eng.html
39 - 01/04/11 D15-2-58, Greenhouse Bell Peppers Originating In or Exported From the Netherlands
D15-2-58, Greenhouse Bell Peppers Originating In or Exported From the Netherlands
This Memo is available on the CBSA website at:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d15/d15-2-58-eng.html
40 - 01/04/11 Canada reaches open skies agreements with Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago
The following is a 20 December 2010 news release by Transport Canada.
The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, today announced that open skies-type air transport agreements have been concluded with both Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The new agreements give airlines additional flexibility for route selection, frequency of service and price setting. Airports will also be in a position to better market their services.
“I am very pleased that expanded arrangements have been reached with these two long-standing and important bilateral air transport partners in the Caribbean,” said Minister Strahl. “These agreements are further positive steps in the implementation of our government’s Blue Sky policy.”
“These agreements will reinforce Canada’s commercial relationship with two of our most significant trade partners in the Caribbean Community,” said Minister Van Loan. “Canada would like to build on this momentum as we move forward in our negotiations toward a free trade agreement with the Caribbean Community.”
Air services between Canada and both Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago have been operated for several years. Liberalizing the transportation-economic regulatory framework that has governed air services to these countries is consistent with the government’s Americas Strategy.
The agreements are being applied on an administrative basis, which allows new air services to begin immediately.
Since the launch of the Blue Sky policy in November 2006, the Government of Canada has negotiated air transport agreements with more than 50 countries, including:
41 - 01/04/11 Maintenance of Records
CBSA has advised of an error of the contact information in D17-1-21. Those who wish to contact CBSA for information regarding the maintenance of records outside of Canada are asked to contact:
Records – Trade Services Division
Canada Border Services Agency
1980 Matheson Blvd. East
P.O. Box 7000, Station A
Mississauga, ON L5A 3A4
Phone: 905.803.5344
Fax: 905.803.5353
Email: cm-go@cbsa-asgc.ca.ca
The form to be used to request that records be kept outside of Canada is available here.
Questions can be directed to the CSCB at cscb@cscb.ca
42 - 01/04/11 STEEL GRATING, Inquiry No. NQ-2010-002
Notice of Commencement of Inquiry is now available on the CITT website.
NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT OF INQUIRY
Notice was received by the Secretary of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (the Tribunal) on December 20, 2010, from the Director General of the Anti-dumping and Countervailing Directorate at the Canada Border Services Agency, stating that preliminary determinations have been made respecting the dumping and subsidizing of metal bar grating of carbon, alloy, or stainless steel, consisting of load-bearing pieces and cross pieces, produced as standard grating or heavy-duty grating, in panel form, whether galvanized, painted, coated, clad or plated, originating in or exported from the People’s Republic of China.
Pursuant to section 42 of the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA), the Tribunal has initiated an inquiry to determine whether the dumping and subsidizing of the above-mentioned goods have caused injury or retardation or are threatening to cause injury, and to determine such other matters as the Tribunal is required to determine under that section.
Under section 46 of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Act, a person who provides information to the Tribunal and who wishes some or all of the information to be kept confidential must submit to the Tribunal, at the time the information is provided, a statement designating the information as confidential, together with an explanation as to why that information is designated as confidential. Furthermore, the person must submit a non-confidential summary of the information designated as confidential or a statement indicating why such a summary cannot be made.
For more details on this inquiry, please visit the CITT website at: http://www.citt-tcce.gc.ca/dumping/inquirie/notices/nq2k002_e.asp
43 - 01/04/11 Bee Products- Amendments
Bee Products
Amendments: This directive has been extensively revised and completely replaces any previous versions.
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/pol/ie-2001-3e.shtml
44 - 01/04/11 Certain Steel Grating
CBSA has now provided additional information on their website regarding preliminary determinations of dumping and subsidizing, pursuant to subsection 38(1) of the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA), in respect of certain metal bar grating of carbon, alloy or stainless steel, consisting of load-bearing pieces and cross pieces, produced as standard grating or heavy-duty grating, in panel form, whether galvanized, painted, coated, clad or plated, originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China.
This information, including HS codes, is available here: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/sima-lmsi/i-e/ad1389/ad1389-i10-np-eng.html
45 - 01/04/11 SIMA Re-investigation
The CBSA has initiated a re-investigation of the normal values, and export prices of certain steel structural tubing, known as hollow structural sections, originating in or exported from the Republic of Korea, South Africa and Turkey.
Should you have questions regarding this re-investigation, please contact one of the officers listed below.
Patrick Mulligan (613) 952-6720
Mathew Lerette (613) 954-7398
Facsimile: (613) 948-4844
46 - 01/04/11 Wood Packaging Shipped Between Canada and US
CFIA has advised that Canada and the U.S. have completed their review of the pest-risk associated with wood packaging material and have concluded that pest risks can be addressed by requiring wood packaging moving between the two countries be compliant with ISPM 15 (2009). A harmonized implementation date will be established.
Details are available here.
47 - 01/04/11 Harper Government's Consumer Product Safety Act Receives Royal Assent
The following is a 15 December 2010 news release by Health Canada.
Today, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, federal Minister of Health, is pleased to announce that the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA), has received Royal Assent, and is now Canadian law.
"I am delighted our Government's Consumer Product Safety Act is now the law of the land," said Minister Aglukkaq. "This will give the Harper Government important new tools to deliver stronger, more effective protection for Canadian consumers and their families."
The new CCPSA will better protect the health and safety of Canadians by:
An accelerated implementation plan is being developed in order to facilitate the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act coming into force in the next few months. To make the transition from the Hazardous Products Act to the new legislation as smooth as possible, the Government will be actively communicating with industry to inform them of the coming-into-force date and their new obligations and requirements under the Act. The Government is also committed to keeping consumers informed as to how the legislation will affect them and the products they buy.
Over the past year, the Harper Government has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to consumer product safety through new regulations on lead, cribs and cradles, and surface coating materials. With the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, the Government will continue to provide a high level of protection for Canadians and will be able to do even more to address emerging consumer product safety issues.
48 - 01/04/11 Economic outlook brightens for 2011, major banks say
The following is from the 15 December 2010 edition of "ottawacitizen.com".
After slowing to a crawl, Canada's economy is expected to get back on track in 2011 on expectations for sustained domestic growth and an improved outlook for the United States, according to reports Wednesday by two of Canada's major banks.
TD Economics boosted its growth forecast for the year ahead to 2.6 per cent from two per cent previously. RBC, meanwhile, maintained its 3.2 per cent outlook for 2011, but added that its outlook for this year — at 3.1 per cent —_and next year marks the fastest pace of growth over the past four years.
"The mid-year economic slowdown reflected a pullback in housing investment, which fell after five consecutive quarterly increases, and a mild downturn in exports," says Craig Wright, chief economist at RBC. "However, financial conditions remain supportive of domestic growth, which will be the main engine of the expansion going forward."
Still, the growth will not be evenly shared.
Stronger commodity prices should put the Prairies and Newfoundland and Labrador at the top of the heap, while Central Canada will struggle as the initial returns to growth in hard-hit manufacturing and housing sectors diminish, TD said in its quarterly economic forecast.
Nor will the growth be shared evenly between the employed and the unemployed.
The jobless rate will remain elevated and is expected to close out 2010 at eight per cent, RBC says, edging down to 7.4 per cent by the end of 2011 and seven per cent by the end of 2012.
Yet recent data support the outlook for improving growth. October manufacturing sales, reported Wednesday, were better than expected, and housing resales, also reported Wednesday, rose for the fourth straight month in October.
But both RBC and TD says consumers, whose home-buying ways made them the mainstay of the recovery, are ready to pass the baton to the business sector.
In fact, RBC expects businesses will play a "pivotal role" in the economy's continuing momentum as the recovery matures and companies are pressed to improve productivity. Already, as TD points out, businesses have ramped up spending on machinery and equipment by 30 per cent for the second straight quarter.
TD says the most significant reason for its improved Canadian outlook is the U.S. Federal Reserve's recent decision to stimulate the economy with $600 billion in bond purchases and Washington's plan to extend Bush-era tax cuts.
"These measures are expected to impact near-term economic growth through two channels," says Derek Burleton, TD's deputy chief economist. "First, it increased the likelihood that the Bank of Canada will keep the overnight rate on hold for a longer period of time. And second, U.S. economic growth prospects are moderately brighter than we had envisaged a few months ago."
That should help boost Canada's exports to the U.S., the country's largest trading partner, as demand increases south of the border.
Still, manufacturers will have to contend with a currency that is expected to remain elevated.
And on the domestic front, headwinds include normalization of interest rates, which, at the Bank of Canada's benchmark lending rate of one per cent, remain well below historical averages, consumer debt loads that are even higher than those in the U.S. and weak productivity.
Consumers, for their part, aren't as convinced of better times ahead. A Harris-Decima poll released Wednesday showed that less than one in five (19 per cent) of Canadians see good times ahead for the economy in the next twelve months, while barely more than one in four (27 per cent) of Canadians believe they will be better off a year from now.
49 - 01/04/11 Canada and EU Take Stock of Historic Trade Agreement Negotiations
The following is a 15 December 2010 News Release by DFAIT.
The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, met with Karel De Gucht, the European Union Trade Commissioner, in Ottawa today to take stock of progress toward a Canada-European Union trade agreement.
Minister Van Loan and Commissioner De Gucht declared that significant progress had been achieved, and negotiations will continue. Both sides confirmed that negotiations are progressing ahead of expectations.
“Commissioner De Gucht and I are satisfied with the substantial progress that has been made in the negotiations,” said Minister Van Loan.
“I fully share Minister Van Loan’s view on the pace of negotiations,” said Commissioner De Gucht. “I am delighted with how much ground has already been covered so far in the negotiation for the benefit of our economies.”
The European Union, with its 27 member states and a population of 500 million, is Canada’s second-largest trading partner, after only the United States. The Canada-European Union joint economic study, released in October 2008, shows that a trade agreement would boost Canada’s economy by $12 billion annually and increase two-way trade with Europe by 20 percent.
“We are moving closer to an agreement that has the potential to increase trade between Canada and the European Union and create jobs and opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Minister Van Loan.
Since October 2009, Canada and the European Union have held five successful rounds of negotiations.
As part of an ambitious free trade agenda, over the last four years, Canada has concluded new trade agreements with eight countries and is holding ongoing negotiations with close to 50 others.
This includes the current trade negotiations with the European Union, Canada’s most significant trade initiative since the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
For more information on the negotiations, please visit Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiations.
50 - 01/04/11 Harper Government's Consumer Product Safety Act Passes Parliament
The following is a 14 December 2010 news release by Health Canada.
Today, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, federal Minister of Health, is pleased to announce that the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA), has been passed by Parliament and, upon Royal Assent, would become law.
"I am delighted that both the House of Commons and the Senate have recognized the need to update our product safety legislation," said Minister Aglukkaq. "The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act will give the Government important new tools to deliver stronger, more effective protection for Canadian consumers and their families."
The new CCPSA will better protect the health and safety of Canadians by:
An accelerated implementation plan is being developed in order to facilitate the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act coming into force in the next few months. To make the transition from the Hazardous Products Act to the new legislation as smooth as possible, the Government will be actively communicating with industry to inform them of the coming-into-force date and their new obligations and requirements under the Act. The Government is also committed to keeping consumers informed as to how the legislation will affect them and the products they buy.
Over the past year, the Harper Government has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to consumer product safety through new regulations on lead, cribs and cradles, and surface coating materials. With the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, the Government will continue to provide a high level of protection for Canadians and will be able to do even more to address emerging consumer product safety issues.
51 - 01/04/11 Peace Bridge Plaza improvements complete
The following is a 10 December 2010 news release by Transport Canada.
The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., Member of Parliament for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and Mr. Ken Schoetz, chairman of the board of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, today celebrated the completion of the Peace Bridge Plaza improvements with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly constructed laneway.
“The Peace Bridge is the third-busiest Canada-U.S. commercial truck crossing and a key component for international trade with the United States,” said Minister Nicholson. “These improvements will enhance the efficiency and security of this important trade corridor, while contributing to Canada’s long-term economic prosperity.”
“This project is an excellent example of how a partnership can expedite improvements at the border,” said Mr. Schoetz. “As an operator that sees border congestion every day, we appreciate the Government of Canada’s understanding of the importance of this international crossing.”
This project included the construction of a fifth primary inspection lane and booth for Canada-bound commercial vehicles, and a designated Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (VACIS) area.
Canada’s Economic Action Plan contributed $1 million, through the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund, representing 50 per cent of the total eligible costs. The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority contributed the remaining $1 million.
The Government of Canada is taking important steps to support economic growth. Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides for almost $12 billion in new infrastructure stimulus funding over two years. We are also accelerating the $33-billion Building Canada Plan, which will help address needs in communities across Canada and contribute to long-term economic growth through investments in public infrastructure such as roads, water treatment plants, green energy and transit.
52 - 01/04/11 Harper Government Focused on Creating Jobs and Delivering Free Trade with European Union
The following is a 10 December 2010 news release by DFAIT.
The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, today concluded a five-day trade mission to Turkey and Greece. The trade mission focused on expanding commercial relations and promoting free trade with the European Union.
“Our government continues to pursue an ambitious trade agenda to open new markets for Canadian companies and create jobs and opportunities for our workers,” said Minister Van Loan. “My visit focused on strengthening Canada’s commercial ties to Turkey—a strategic gateway to Europe and Asia—and on promoting deeper trade ties with Greece through a Canada-European Union trade agreement.”
A Canadian business delegation representing the aerospace, agri-food, defence, clean energy, environment, and information and communications technologies sectors accompanied Minister Van Loan on the successful trade mission to Turkey and Greece.
“As a result of this trade mission and the help of the Trade Commissioner Service, we will be signing two new business agreements in online retailing, and one joint venture in mobile application development,” said Catharine Devlin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Devlin Web Corporation, a Canadian, award-winning digital communications agency.
“This trade mission gave Free Breeze an unparalleled opportunity to pursue potential business partnerships, make contacts and open doors in the Turkish market,” said Mark James, Director of International Sales, Free Breeze Energy Systems Ltd., a leading Canadian wind energy provider, which opened a new office in Istanbul during the trade mission.
In Turkey, Minister Van Loan also opened the new Canadian Consulate in Istanbul and participated in the opening of a Centennial College recruitment office.
In Greece, Minister Van Loan promoted broader Canada-Greece trade and investment relations. He announced the implementation of the Double Taxation Agreement with Greece, scheduled to come into effect on January 1, 2011, and promoted the Canada-European Union trade agreement as the key driver of closer commercial ties.
“Canada is committed to negotiating a broad and ambitious trade agreement that will create jobs in Canada and the European Union, including Greece,” said Minister Van Loan. “The European Union is Canada’s second-largest trading partner. A trade agreement would boost Canada’s economy by up to $12 billion annually and move Canada and EU countries further on the path to economic recovery.”
For additional details on Minister Van Loan’s visit, please consult Ministerial visit to Turkey and Greece.
53 - 08/23/10 New LA Terminal Opened
Hercules has opened a new 65-door terminal in Los Angeles, quadrupling our capacity from the area.
The facility is set on four acres at the heart of the interchange for Interstates 5 and 10, offering quick access to major routes, and will be home to 40 Hercules drivers. New security features such as biometric entry are part of the sophisticated security at the terminal.
The new building will help facilitate Hercules' continued double-digit growth of our streamlined US/CAN cross-border LTL service. Hercules services Los Angeles to Canada with transit times of two days to Vancouver, three days to Calgary and Edmonton, four days to Winnipeg and Toronto, and five days to Montreal.
Below is an overhead view of the facility.
54 - 08/23/10 SmartWay certification received
Hercules received a SmartWay certification for our latest generation “green” fleet. .....
Hercules Forwarding, Inc.
In Canada call 800.822.4512
In the US call 800.621.8723
www.herculesfreight.com