Contracts Executed Between Mexican Companies and Foreigners – The New Mexican Customs Requirements
Mexico’s customs and foreign trade legal framework has evolved into a substance-based compliance model. Authorities now expect importers to demonstrate not only what was imported, but also why, under what legal relationship, and under what economic terms the transaction took place.
Advisory Opinions From DDTC – What Are They?
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) that administers and enforces the ITAR also issues Advisory Opinions (AO). What the heck is an AO? If you come from a Customs compliance background you know about Customs rulings and may have applied for some. An AO is sort of like a Customs ruling in that it is a written interpretation of the regulations.
Mexico’s Electronic Value Manifest (Manifestación de Valor Electrónica or MVE)
The MVE, which will be enforceable as of April 1, 2026, is a digital document integrated into Mexico’s Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCEM – Ventanilla Única de Comercio Exterior) through which importers must declare the customs value of goods entering Mexico.
Renewal of Haiti HOPE/HELP and AGOA Trade Preferences Up to Senate
In its usual fashion, Congress has allowed the tariff preferences for Haiti under the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to expire on September 30, 2025. Two bills passed the House with bipartisan majorities on January 12, 2026, to renew the tariff preferences retroactively to the date of expiration and then extend them to September 30, 2028. Both bills are now in the Senate Finance Committee awaiting action. This article examines the current status and likely outcomes of Senate review.
Self-Declaring Under the Section 232 Automotive and MHDVP Programs
The October 17, 2025 Presidential Proclamation 10984 Adjusting Imports of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Parts, and Buses into the United States included a provision to self-declare certain auto and truck parts and components as being subject to the tariffs with certain requirements.
Mercosur Update
Let’s rewind to December 6, 2024. A deal more than 25 years in the making, covering over 700 million people and a combined GDP approaching $22 trillion, became realized. Since then, the agreement has made notable institutional progress while encountering renewed legal and political resistance that will shape its path to implementation. What’s happened recently?
BRICS: An Update and a Challenge
Has BRICS finally produced an alternative to the “petrodollar” after twenty years? And does it live up to the hype? Depending on where you look online, key details are being left out. So, let’s slow down and review what’s actually happening.
After Two Decades of Failing to Come to an Agreement “The Mother of All Deals” is Done – Kudos to India and the EU
As of 1/27/2026, India and the EU have finalized a free trade agreement described by both sides as the “mother of all deals” that slashes tariffs, opens markets, and creates a combined economic region of roughly two billion people. This FTA stands as one of the most consequential global trade realignments in years, driven in part by U.S. tariff pressure and a shift in strategy toward diversifying one’s supply chains.
Hot Topics in International Trade – The Davos Speech by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney The Middle Powers Playbook and a Global Trade Realignment in the Making
For whatever reason, if you missed the spectacle created by President Trump on the world stage recently in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum, you really need to pay close attention now to the fall out. Top business executives in global economies were watching and probably also wondering just who the hell was going to stand-up to the U.S. pressure campaign, and that’s where Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stepped up to the mic and delivered a speech that sent shockwaves across continents.
Global Chaos and Global Trade – The New World Disorder and the Ensuing Economic Carnage
On any given morning so far in 2026, looking around the globe, one could easily surmise that chaos rules, and the world of trade as result is on fire. The global landscape is filled with trade barriers, tariffs, sanctions, and export controls, from microchips and dairy to lumber, steel and aluminum. We have seen where geopolitical disputes often escalate into trade wars, where countries impose tariffs or targeted restrictions on each other’s goods, but an actual invasion, that’s on a totally different level regarding how it affects trade and global economies.