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Our tax practice includes a focus on Canada’s GST/HST system, which is a multi-level, value-added taxing system, imposed under Canada's Excise Tax Act (the ETA), and administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (the CRA). The GST applies at a 5% rate federally, and the HST applies an additional provincial component by province, resulting in GST/HST rates ranging from 5% to 15% nationally.
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As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nears the two-year mark, now is an appropriate time to take stock of the variety of trade sanction measures which have been put in place throughout this year.
Background
Importers will recall the government’s swift decision to remove “Most-Favoured-Nation” (“MFN”) tariff status from both Russia and Belarus in March 2022.
Further to our recent blogs here and here, Canada has announced even more measures to isolate Russia on the world stage.
Specifically, Canada joined other G7 nations to impose new Russian sanctions, announced in connection with the G7 Leaders’ Summit today in Hiroshima.
In short, over 70 new sanctions were announced, focussing on people viewed as “supporting Russia’s illegal military action and complicit in human rights violations”. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the sanctions target “17 individuals and 18 entities linked to Russian companies that provide military technology and know-how to Russia’s armed forces, family members of listed persons, and members of the Kremlin elite.”