January 15, 2021 – As a result of a state of emergency announced by the province, we will be taking further measures to protect our team members by encouraging them to work from home where possible. Our office will be operated by a skeleton staff and we ask for your patience in delays due to our team members being offsite. If you have an urgent matter, please call us at 416.621.6800.
January 13, 2021 – The purpose of this message is to update you on the current situation as it relates to the overall supply chain congestion in Canadian ports. As you may be aware, major rail providers in the Greater Toronto and Greater Montreal area are experiencing a high level of volumes and congestion in their yards. This is causing a ripple effect to other depots in the area as empty import return containers have had to be redirected to their yards. These depots are now reaching maximum capacity, resulting in longer wait times or an inability to accepting empty import returns until space becomes available. The carriers are working to resolve this backlog as quickly as possible and are starting to see results. Concerns may continue to be noted until early March 2021, based on overall demand and capacity.
January 10, 2021 – In a further sign of the unprecedented times that we are in, many forwarders are engaged in fierce bidding wars in China, in order to secure equipment and space to North America and Europe. And several carriers are reported to have opened first- and second-round tenders with the highest bidders for guaranteed shipment this month. Carriers are inviting offers for available slots on end-January sailings from Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao and Yantian. Canaan Transport disagrees with this practice of paying exorbitant amounts for guaranteed space but we will provide all possible options to our customers in order to secure space as required.
January 7, 2021 – Generally, factories in China close for the duration of the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday – this year from February 12 to 26 – but 2021 looks like it could be different, with varying closure dates across the country. In southern China, lots of factories will shut down much earlier than usual this year; people are off from the middle of January, a month prior to CNY so the last feeder sailing is closed earlier than before, like by January 20, which means the cargo ex-factory date should be also the middle of January. Some factories have advanced the holiday starting time, but also advanced the re-opening time, to differ from the others. Everyone does it their own way now. Others claim some factories will stay open as the Chinese government looks to minimize the movement of people owing to COVID-19.
January 6, 2021 – With today’s announcement that Quebec will go into an overnight curfew, we want to advise our customers that there will likely be delays on cargo pick up and deliveries for the next month and ask for your patience. We will do the best that we can with our partners to deliver the service that you expect.
January 5, 2021 – The first goods will begin to flow under a 55-nation Africa-wide free-trade pact on Friday, the culmination of more than five years of negotiations on cutting cross-border tariffs. Africa could be the world’s biggest free-trade zone by area when its treaty becomes fully operational by 2030. The bloc has a potential market of 1.2 billion people and a combined gross domestic product of $2.5 trillion. The accord “will fundamentally change the economic fortunes of our continent,” South African Presdent Cyril Ramaphosa, who holds the AU’s rotating chairmanship, said in a speech last week. “It is the start of a new era of trade between African countries, when the continent will produce the goods and services it needs, when its economies will grow, industrialize and diversify, when it will realize the great potential of its abundant natural resources.”
January 3, 2021 – In November 2020, China advised Canada to implement new export certification requirements by January 1, 2021, for the export of fresh and frozen fish and seafood products. Canada has proposed a revised certificate but negotiations on the certificate are not finalized. China has informed Canada that the existing export certificate will continue to be accepted for imports into China until negotiations are finalized.
December 28, 2020 – Ambassadors from the 27 EU member states have unanimously approved the EU-UK post-Brexit trade deal, paving the way for it to take effect. The deal is likely to become law on January 1, as the UK Parliament is expected to approve it on Wednesday.
December 25, 2020 – As the year draws to a close, we wanted to wish our customers and friends a Merry Christmas and a safe holidays.
December 22, 2020 – With Brexit looming, Canada and the United Kingdom have signed a separate trade agreement. The United Kingdom Trade Continuity Remission Order provides the tariff benefits of the Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement (CUKTCA) as if it were in force as of January 1, 2021. It does so by remitting the difference between the Most-Favoured-Nation Tariff rate of customs duty and the rate of customs duty that would apply under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). This replicates the tariff benefits that would have applied to eligible imports from the United Kingdom (UK) and certain associated territories under the CUKTCA as the tariffs and rules of origin are equivalent under the two agreements. The CETA is referenced because those preferential tariffs and rules of origin already exist in domestic law. This remission applies to goods imported on or after January 1, 2021, until the day on which the CUKTCA enters into force.