2009-2010 CBSA National Verification Priorities

This is the list of products that customs is focusing on for audits this year 2009-2010

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BwEN0WTvY7xgZTE2ZDE0NjAtNzYyYS00MTJlLWE1ZGQtZDA5MjcxNDc0ZDI1&hl=en

For 2009-2010,
14 national priorities for verification so far:

Valuation verification
1. Plastic household goods

Tariff Classification verification
2.Magnesium sulphates
3.Cotton yarn
4.Copper and articles thereof
5.Stone vs. articles of stone
6.Reclaimed rubber
7.Furniture parts
8.Gloves
9.Soap

Origin verification
10. Vegetable fats and oils
11. Articles of bedding and similar furnishings
12. Perfume and toilet water industry
13. Mattress upholstery
14. Electric generators

October 2009 Economic Digest - Importing and Exporting

October 2009 Edition

 LAND

Canadian farmland is still cheap by global standards but unlikely to stay that way for long. Large global funds are increasingly drawn to Canada and Australia as they seek agricultural investments. An hectare of arable land on the Canadian Prairies is worth about US$1,725. Comparable land in the UK goes for $17,100 and for $3,450 in Australia. In Ireland it would be worth $58,500, in France it would be $12,500 and in New Zealand $9,643. A hectare in Ohio is worth $11,000. While land can be purchased for less in developing countries, there are often complications that make ownership difficult.

WATER

Scientists have warned Asian countries that they face chronic food shortages and likely social unrest if they do not improve water management. They must spend billions of dollars to improve antiquated crop irrigation to cope with rapid population increases. Asia's population is forecast to increase by 1.5-billion people over the next 40 years with Asia's food and feed demand expected to double by 2050. The best bet for Asia lies in revitalizing its vast irrigation system, which accounts for 70 per cent of the world's total irrigated land.

COMFORT

A survey of 3,700 people about their comfort food preferences confirms that consumers are passionate about their comfort foods, many of which stem from childhood favourites. The overall food category preferred by all ages was candy but individual responses revealed a more generational and diverse portrait of comfort food preferences. For younger people, these now include: chicken soup, Vietnamese beef noodle soup, sushi, and Indian and Thai curries.

GAS

China's gas consumption is set to nearly triple over the next ten years, potentially rising to around 18-billion cubic feet per day by 2020 and making the country the world's No. 3 gas market after Russia and the United States. Australia and China recently signed the biggest trade deal ever worth US$41-billion under which China will purchase 2.25-million tonnes per annum of gas from a field off the coast of Western Australia, that contains resources of about 40-trillion cubic feet of gas. This deal will boost the government's gross domestic product by US$53-billion and add around 6,000 jobs.

SAVINGS

According to the National Funeral Directors Association in the U.S., Americans have cut their spending on funerals considerably compared to the previous year. The majority of undertakers surveyed said increasing numbers of people are choosing a cheaper coffin, or opting for cremation instead of a traditional burial. People have also been cutting back on the hiring of chapels, the amount of flowers and the use of limousines. There is also a new trend of some people buying coffins from the discount chain Costco.

VACANCIES

The global recession has led to an increase in empty office space in most big cities across the world. Beijing's office glut was already the worst of any large city but has since worsened and the vacancy rate is now 23 per cent. Vacant office space in Moscow has doubled in the past year. Occupancy has fallen even in crowded Tokyo but its vacancy rate of 5 per cent is still the lowest of any big city. Mumbai's vacancy rate has more than quadrupled from 2.9 per cent to 12.7 per cent.

COLLATERAL

One regional bank in Italy stores more than 15,000 tonnes of parmesan cheese which it keeps as collateral for loans. The bank holds about 440,000 wheels of parmesan worth US$204-million in two climate controlled warehouses. Each wheel holds the equivalent of 550 litres of milk, worth about 300 Euros. Each one is branded with a serial number so it can be traced if stolen. Thieves tunnelled under one warehouse earlier this year and made off with 570 wheels. Cheese producers use the loans to buy milk. There are 429 parmesan producers in Italy and the industry is worth $2.4-billion.

SUGAR

The price of raw sugar has increased to the highest level since 1981 as supply concerns grow. This is due to growing demand in Brazil for sugar to be turned into ethanol, coupled with a sharp fall in Indian production which dropped by 45 per cent last year because India had less rain in the monsoon season and it was also uneven, damaging a number of agricultural crops.

RENTAL

For the first time, U.S. auto rental companies are buying more foreign vehicles than domestic brands. Through the first six months of this year, only 48.8 per cent of the new vehicles going into rental fleets came from General Motors, Ford or Chrysler. Just three years ago, more than 8 in 10 vehicles sold to rental fleets came from the Big Three. Now, the lots are being filled with models from Hyundai, Kia, Toyota and Nissan. The Nissan Altima has edged out the Chevrolet Impala as the top-selling car in the rental market.

SUBSIDIES

The OECD estimates that its member countries spent US$265-billion on farm subsidies in 2008, more than a fifth of their farmers' total earnings. Handouts made up more than three-fifths of farmers' gross income in Norway and South Korea. In contrast, subsidies were less than one per cent of farm incomes in New Zealand and under ten per cent in both Australia and the U.S. The European Union was by far the biggest subsidiser, forking out $150.4-billion.

STOCKMARKETS

Just over 49,000 domestic companies were listed on the world's stockmarkets in 2008. Of these, 54 per cent were listed in rich countries. The number of companies in China and Taiwan more than doubled to 2,860 in the ten years to 2008. Corporate listings bear little relation to economic size. In 2008, India had 4,921 listed companies, second only to the United States. Swiss markets listed only 253 firms but their total value was more than that of India. Hong Kong had the most listed companies per head.

EXPORTS

Germany is set to lose its unofficial title of world's top exporter this year to China as the recession hits demand for its cars, machinery and chemicals. German exports are projected to slump by 17 per cent this year to US$1.16-trillion before recovering to register growth of four per cent in 2010.

TRAFFIC

In 2007, for the first time in 16 years, congestion in America's 439 recognized urban areas actually declined. Even though congestion dropped, it still forced urban Americans to travel for 4.2-billion extra hours and buy an extra 2.8-billion gallons of fuel. The cost of all these delays as estimated by the Texas Transportation Institute was US$87.2-billion, an increase of more than 50 per cent over 1997. The problem affects metropolitan areas of all sizes, but big ones--the country's economic engines--are in the worst shape.

VACATIONS

Europe's tourism industry is hurting. In the first five months of this year, the number of overnight stays by foreign visitors in French hotels fell by 15 per cent. The figure for Spain was 11.4 and in Italy, overnight stays were down 11 per cent, Many jobs are at risk. In 2007, France boasted nearly 200,000 hotels, pensions, campsites, restaurants, cafes and travel agencies which employed almost 900,000 people and took in some US$96-billion. Spain had about 293,000 firms with 1.4-million employees. Rome's hoteliers' association expects to shed 10,000 jobs this year.

CHANGE

As consumers abandon the dining table and eat meals on their laps in front of the television, knives could soon go the way of the napkin ring. According to one British retailer, sales of knives are on the decline. Four years ago it sold equal numbers of knives and forks but recently it has sold two forks for every knife. Experts fear that the trend could result in knives becoming an implement used only on special occasions.

COMMERCIALISM

Up to now, Vatican Radio has been wholly funded by the Roman Catholic Church at a cost of about US$30-million a year but the Holy See's finances are suffering. Now it is to start airing commercials for the first time in its 80-year history. The first company to run its commercials will be an Italian gas and electricity company.

AGE

Britain's oldest working television has been tracked down in a house in London. The 1936 Marconiphone has a 12 inch (30 cm) screen and is mounted in a wooden cabinet. The image from the cathode ray tube, mounted vertically inside the cabinet, is reflected onto a mirror. The few controls include volume and vertical hold but there is no channel changer as there was only one channel when it was made.

INSURANCE

The world's biggest insurance markets collected US$4.3-trillion in premiums in 2008. After adjusting for inflation, total premiums in life and non-life insurance markets fell by two per cent last year, the largest decline since 1980. Life insurance still provides about 60 per cent of total premiums. Britons bought the most insurance per person in 2008.

FAKE

Seizure of counterfeit goods being smuggled into the European Union more than doubled last year. Customs authorities seized 178-million fake items in 2008, up 125 per cent from 79-million in 2007. Pirate DVD and CDs were the most prevalent fake goods with 79-million disks detained. These were followed by cigarettes and clothing. Seizures of counterfeit medicines rose 118 per cent.

TRENDS

British supermarkets are offering pre-cooked eggs to shoppers who lack the skills to boil their own. The free-range eggs come cooked `to perfection,' shelled and packaged. One TV chef helpfully included tips on boiling an egg in one of her best selling recipe books after learning that many people lacked the knowledge. The eggs are available in packs of two or four. A four pack costs US$2.80.

CHOCOLATE

Dubai's Al Nassma, the world's first brand of chocolate made with camels' milk, plans to expand into new Arab markets, Europe, Japan and the U.S. The company aims to produce 100 tonnes of premium camels' milk chocolate a year. With 3,000 camels on its Dubai farm, the company sells chocolates through its farm-attached store as well as in luxury hotels and private airlines. The chocolates are produced without preservatives or chemical additives. Camel milk contains five times more vitamin C than cow milk, less fat, less lactose and more insulin, making it a good option for diabetics.

GIVING

The global recession has failed to dampen philanthropic spirit with many rich people increasing their charitable giving. Among 500 British and American individuals surveyed with at least US$1-million of investable assets, only education was considered a more important expense than charitable commitments. 31 per cent of entrepreneurs surveyed say they have increased their giving compared to 17 per cent who have reduced it.

SERVICE

PetSmart Inc., the largest U.S. pet-store chain with 1,137 stores, is considering expansion into in-home services including dog walking, backyard clean-up and aquarium set-up to distinguish itself from retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Wal-Mart is targeting the US$45.4-billion market for pet goods putting pressure on PetSmart as shoppers consolidate buying trips.

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