On June 20, 2009 proposed regulations under the Hazardous Products Act were published in the Canada Gazette Part I regarding consumer products containing lead and phthalates:

• Consumer Products Containing Lead (Contact with Mouth) Regulations: The purpose of the proposed regulations is to protect children against potential exposure to lead by setting a total lead limit of 90 milligrams of lead per kilogram of product (90 mg/kg) on the following categories of consumer products:

(1) products, other than kitchen utensils, whose normal pattern of use requires that they be brought to the user’s mouth; and

(2) products in respect of which it is reasonably foreseeable based on their nature, that they would be used by children under three years of age in learning or play.

• Phthalates Regulations: Phthalates are a class of chemicals commonly used as plasticizers (softening agents) in the manufacture of soft vinyl (also known as polyvinyl chloride [PVC]), which in turn is used in the manufacture of many consumer products, including soft vinyl children’s toys and child care articles. The United States and European Union have identified the following six phthalates as a potential concern for human health:

Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) — CAS Number 117-81-7

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) — CAS Number 84-74-2

Benzyl Butyl Phthalate (BBP) — CAS Number 85-68-7

Diisononyl Phthalate (DINP) — CAS Numbers 28553-12-0 and 68515-48-0

Diisodecyl Phthalate (DIDP) — CAS Numbers 26761-40-0 and 68515-49-1

Di-n-octyl Phthalate (DNOP) — CAS Number 117-84-0

They would like to see the Customs Brokers Licensing Regulations updated so that individuals may maintain their qualified or professional status without necessarily having to work for a customs brokerage firm.

In the meantime, the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers (CSCB) has made a proposal that would allow individuals to maintain their eligibility to obtain a customs brokerage licence or to serve as a qualified officer without having to work for a customs brokerage firm. The CSCB is proposing to replace the current knowledge requirement of passing the Customs Broker Professional Examination with passing the examination for the Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) designation. CSCB is also proposing that by renewing their CCS designation annually, individuals could maintain their eligibility to obtain a customs brokerage licence or to serve as a qualified officer.

I.E.Canada been asked by the Licensing Advisory Committee (LAC), which is made up of representatives of the customs brokerage industry, importers and the CBSA to canvas our members to determine whether there is support in principle for this proposal. While I.E.Canada has raised this issue at the LAC and in other fora, the association has not been involved in the development of this proposal and will not take a position until we hear back from our members.

We are interested in identifying members with an interest in these issues and obtaining your initial views on the CSCB proposal. Note that the CSCB proposal is a proposal in principle and the details will have to be discussed at much greater length.

We are requesting our members who have an interest in this issue to complete a survey on Survey Monkey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=foCQ_2beI69dEcB1makLZ2qQ_3d_3d

Deadline: Friday, August 14, 2009

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Amesika Baeta, Committee Director at abaeta@iecanada.com.

A notice was published in the Federal Register today [February 3] with the revised implementation plan for the Lacey Act amendments. A copy of the notice is available at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html.....

We need your participation in a web-based questionnaire to help Transport Canada better understand the decision making process in determining ports of call. Your participation as a shipper/receiver will provide us with insights on the critical drivers of your choice. This study will also help inform Transport Canada on what type of future Canadian investments are needed, as ports in Canada, U.S. and Mexico increasingly compete for supplying transportation services to the North American Heartland. ....

As a member of the Market Access Advisory Group (MAAG) to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, I.E.Canada has been asked to provide input with respect to China’s accession to the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement (AGP). The AGP guarantees suppliers from parties to the agreement and their goods and services access to government procurement contracts tendered by other parties.....

At the Canada-EU Summit in Berlin in June 2007, Canada and the EU agreed, inter alia, to study the costs and benefits of a closer economic partnership by examining existing barriers, especially non-tariff, to the flow of goods, services and capital, and by estimating the potential benefits of removing such barriers.....

The CBSA Business Simplification Initiative Working Group, co-chaired by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Director of CBSA’s Business Simplification Initiative team, was mandated to make recommendations to the CBSA on measures that would result in a significant improvement in how business interacts with the CBSA. The Working Group comprises representatives from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (co-chair); the Association of International Border Agencies; the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers; the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters; the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.....