Vietnam has passed a new regulation to limit vehicle import.  The new rules will take effect on June 26.  Click here to read a news article about the pending changes.  Click here to download the rule changes.

News reports from Vietnam indicate that the Ministry of Industry and Trade has announced new rules that will make it more difficult to import vehicles into the country.  The new rules, which are reported to take effect as of June 26, restrict who can import vehicles into the country.  Read more…

With the Canadian dollar hitting $1.05 against the U.S. dollar, and continuing to increase, there has been more news coverage about Canadians buying vehicles imported from the United States.  CTV, one of Canada’s national news networks, recently asked NAATA about the reasons for the price difference between the two countries.  Click here to see the television broadcast.    There have been more news articles about the flow of imports into Canada over the past couple of weeks.  There has been news coverage right across the country.  Consumer comments after news articles posted on the internet are interesting.  Read more news coverage.  

And click here for more news on vehicle imports. 

Canada has passed legislation to allow vehicle imports from Mexico.  Bill S-5, An Act to amend the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, received Royal Assent on March 23, 2011.  With the Canadian government moving towards an election and a halt to all new legislation, this Bill managed to get through the system.  The Bill is part of Canada’s obligation to put the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into practice.  Canada has a system to administer importation of vehicles from the United States, which was introduced after the two countries entered into their own free trade agreement more than two decades ago.  When Mexico joined the agreement and NAFTA came into being, Canada had to pass additional legislation to allow imports from Mexico.    This law has now been passed.  The details still have to be worked out and it will be several years before vehicles can actually come into Canada from Mexico, but at least the governing legislation is now in place.  The legislation will become effective when regulations are passed by government.  The legislation will gradually phase in imports from Mexico, first allowing older vehicles and then gradually allowing newer vehicles over the next decade. 

Click here to read Bill S-5

Click here to read government debates on the legislation

With the Canadian dollar hitting new 3 year highs against the U.S. dollar, vehicles continue to be imported into Canada.  Click here for a chart showing vehicle imports as against the exchange rate.  The chart shows vehicle imports into Canada through the RIV program and the average annual exchange rate between the Canadian and American dollars as reported by the Bank of Canada between the years 1997 and 2010.

The European Commission approved a regulation to amend the IVA system, which governs importation of vehicles imported into the European Union from the United States, Canada, Mexico and other countries (originally built to non-EU specifications).  The regulation was adopted on February 22, 2011 and will enter into force on February 26, 2012.  The regulation will be binding on imports into all EU member states. 

Download the new regulation