Proving FTA preferential tariff eligibility: The evidentiary burden in Canada
Jean-Marc Clément Counsel, Woods LaFortune Montréal, Canada As is the case with most free trade agreements, importers simply claim preferential tariff eligibility at the time of import. This claim can later be subject to verification by the customs administration in view of determining if it was valid. Proving preferential tariff entitlement requires assembling and presenting relevant facts and documents that support the claim. But just how much evidence is necessary in order to discharge...
read moreWoods, LaFortune LLP to Attend CETA Civil Society Forum
Woods, LaFortune LLP has been invited by the Trade Agreements Secretariat at Global Affairs Canada to participate in the Civil Society Forum on Trade and Sustainable Development under the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Michael Woods will attend on behalf of the firm. The event is to take place in Ottawa on November 12, 2019. The Forum is facilitated jointly by the Government of Canada and the European Union and...
read moreMichael Woods to Speak at CANDO Annual Conference
Michael Woods is scheduled to appear on an expert panel at the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO) Annual Conference in Gatineau Québec on October 30, 2019. CANDO is a Canadian Aboriginal-controlled, community-based, and membership driven organization focusing on education and professional development for economic development officers working in Aboriginal communities and organizations. Michael will be part of a panel examining “Economic Development Opportunities in Indigenous International Trade” and he will share...
read moreMichael Woods Speaks at IITIO Conference – “The Indigenous Chapter is Very Much Alive.”
Michael Woods joined the head of the Government of Canada’s Trade Law Bureau, Robert Brookfield, Professor Lindsay Robertson of the University of Oklahoma and Professor James Hopkins of the University of Arizona on a panel to discuss the Indigenous elements in the Canada United States Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and the consultative process between the Government of Canada and Canada’s Indigenous communities during the NAFTA renegotiations which were launched in 2017. This was the 7th...
read moreCanada Should Revisit Safeguard Measures on Stainless Steel Wire
The Minister of Finance should reconsider the decision to impose safeguard measures on imports of stainless steel wire because the recent agreement between Canada and the U.S. to remove their respective duties on each other’s steel, calls into question the Canadian International Trade Tribunal’s (CITT) threat of injury finding against stainless steel wire imports which underpins the Minister’s decision. On May 10, 2019, the Minister imposed safeguard measures on imports of stainless steel wire...
read moreSteel Safeguards: CITT Announces a Product Exclusion Process for Stainless Steel Wire and Heavy Plate
On May 16, 2019, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) announced that it was initiating a Product Exclusion Review to determine whether any imports of stainless steel wire or heavy plate should be excluded from safeguard measures imposed on imports of these products. Although the CITT will only grant product exclusions in extraordinary circumstances, any interested party that imports or wants to import stainless steel wire or heavy plate into Canada from countries now...
read moreCanada’s Announced Support for its Steel Producers will hurt Canadian Steel Importers, Manufacturers and End-Users
Canadian steel importers, and manufacturers and end-users who use imported steel, will be affected by the Government’s latest moves to support Canada’s steel producers because the Government’s actions promise to restrict steel imports and to increase their cost to the detriment of importers, manufacturers and end-users. On April 3, 2019, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) concluded its safeguard inquiry into seven steel products, finding that imports of heavy plate and stainless steel wire...
read moreGlobal Perspective on U.S.-China Trade Talks
Michael Woods was interviewed for an article by U. S. based Corporate Counsel regarding the ongoing U.S. – China trade talks. His comments on the wider implications of the “heavyweight” battle can be seen at this link:...
read moreMichael Woods Interviewed on the Special Challenges Faced by Trade Negotiators
Recently Michael Woods was interviewed by the South China Morning Post and asked about the complexities of international trade negotiations in the light of his own GATT and WTO experience. He was quoted on his experience early in the China GATT/WTO Accession talks. The article is freely available at:...
read moreConsidering International Trade Law – Indigenous Perspectives & Possibilities – March 19th at the University of Ottawa
Michael Woods is scheduled to participate on a panel discussion on Indigenous perspectives and international trade law at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law on March 19, 2019. His participation reflects his ongoing involvement in the field as a member of the executive of the International Inter-tribal Trade and Investment Organization (IITIO) and the Global Affairs Canada Indigenous Working Group which advised the Government on Canada’s international trade agenda. Michael will be joined...
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