Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act — F-29.4 4
Privileges, immunities and benefits 4 (1) For the purpose of according to the diplomatic mission and consular posts of any foreign state, and persons connected therewith, treatment that is comparable to the treatment accorded to the Canadian diplomatic mission and Canadian consular posts in that foreign state, and persons connected therewith, the Minister of Foreign Affairs may, by order, with respect to that state’s diplomatic mission and any of its consular posts, and any person connected therewith, (a) extend any of the privileges and immunities accorded thereto under section 3, other than duty and tax relief privileges; (b) grant thereto any of the benefits set out in the regulations; (c) withdraw any of the privileges, immunities and benefits accorded or granted thereto; and (d) restore any privilege, immunity or benefit withdrawn pursuant to paragraph (c). Duty and tax relief privileges (2) For the purpose of according to the diplomatic mission and consular posts of any state, and persons connected therewith, duty and tax relief privileges that are comparable to the duty and tax relief privileges accorded to the Canadian diplomatic mission and Canadian consular posts in that state, and persons connected therewith, the Governor in Council, on the joint recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance, may, by order, with respect to that state’s diplomatic mission and any of its consular posts, and any person connected therewith, (a) extend any of the duty and tax relief privileges accorded thereto under section 3; and (b) grant thereto any duty or tax relief privilege not provided for in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations or in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Idem (3) For the purpose of according to the diplomatic mission and consular posts of any foreign state, and persons connected therewith, duty and tax relief privileges that are comparable to the duty and tax relief privileges accorded to the Canadian diplomatic mission and Canadian consular posts in that foreign state, and persons connected therewith, the Minister of Foreign Affairs may, by order, with respect to that foreign state’s diplomatic mission and any of its consular posts, and any person connected therewith, (a) withdraw any duty or tax relief privilege accorded thereto under section 3 or by an order made under subsection (2); and (b) restore any duty or tax relief privilege withdrawn pursuant to paragraph (a). Detention of goods (4) The Minister of Foreign Affairs may, by order, authorize the detention by officers under the Customs Act of goods imported by a diplomatic mission or consular post of a foreign state for any period during which, in the opinion of the Minister, the foreign state applies any of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations or the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations restrictively with the result that the privileges and immunities accorded to that state’s diplomatic mission and consular posts in Canada exceed those accorded to a Canadian diplomatic mission and Canadian consular posts in that foreign state. 1991, c. 41, s. 4; 1995, c. 5, s. 25; 2002, c. 12, s. 2