Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is a driving force behind global economic growth and development, acting as a lifeline of funding for nations around the world. Imagine a company from one corner of the globe setting up shop or acquiring a business in another – that’s FDI in action.
中国在墨西哥的外国直接投资 (FDI) 近年来显着增长，这反映了中国与全球经济格局转变和区域贸易动态的战略性协调。这一趋势使中国成为墨西哥增长最快的外国投资来源国之一，其中大部分投资流向制造业。
In February 2024, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began taking a new approach to Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) enforcement—questionnaires. Once again, the solar industry is among the first targets, vanguards among importers, hacking their way through new regulatory growth, hopefully exposing a clear way through for all who follow. Active enforcement mechanisms like questionnaires—and the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF) itself—are still evolving.
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has recently published a guidance document on its new website aimed at helping freight forwarders and exporters uphold compliance with U.S. export controls and regulatory requirements. The document emphasizes the significant role that freight forwarders play in securing the global supply chain and preventing the proliferation of illegal exports.
De minimis is a term that refers to a threshold below which certain goods are exempt from import duties or taxes. However, in the landscape of international trade, it has become a contentious issue for the United States. Those “bad actors”, and even some, not so bad, but willing to take advantage of a loophole have found a way around the tariffs. This so-called loophole of allowing goods with a fair retail value of $800 or less to enter the U.S. without paying an import tariff has become a monster that Customs needs to find a way to deal with conclusively.
In Mexico, a customs regime is the destination or treatment for goods subject to customs control in accordance with the nature and purposes of a customs operation. Companies with an IMMEX program may perform operations under the so-called customs regime of “temporary importation for elaboration, transformation or repair under a maquila program”. This name by itself implies several facts to consider.
Welcome to the second installment in our series on duty-saving strategies. After discussing the utilization of Foreign Trade Zones and Bonded Warehouses in our previous article, we now turn to Section 321, a topic of significant importance and, as you’ll see, considerable debate.
Since the last update on the AD / CVD aluminum extrusions investigation (dubbed Extrusions II) in what appears to be a response to strong opposition from trade industry groups, legislators, governments, and other interested parties, as well as dubious signals from the Department of Commerce, (Commerce) the Petitioners in the ongoing Aluminum Extrusions investigation have proposed modifications to the scope of the investigation.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic for the last 2-3 years for politicians, technologists, and many people in civil societies globally. The use of the technology has obvious benefits for increasing productivity and value produced by businesses and organizations, along with dangers from misuse, such as deep fake propaganda and serious security risks. Two recent efforts to develop legislation addressing AI technology offer an opportunity to compare and contrast the differing approaches in the European Union (EU) and the United States (US).
En México, un régimen aduanero es el destino o tratamiento que se da a los bienes objeto de control aduanero de conformidad con la naturaleza y propósitos de una operación aduanera. Las empresas con un programa IMMEX pueden realizar operaciones al amparo del régimen aduanero llamado “importación temporal para elaboración, transformación o reparación en programas de maquila”.
In 2024, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) saw significant financial engagement. Preliminary data indicates that China invested approximately $92.4 billion in various projects across the 149 countries involved in the BRI. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) encompasses numerous large-scale infrastructure projects across the globe.
As of now, the start of 2025, there are several Chinese industrial parks in Mexico, with notable examples including the Hofusan Industrial Park near Monterrey, which hosts manufacturing plants for ten Chinese companies. When one is considering how to navigate the U.S. import tariffs, for many Chinese manufacturers, pulling the trigger on nearshoring is the right move.
Recent announcements by former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the potential imposition of import duties on goods from Mexico have created uncertainty for companies operating under the IMMEX program. Many businesses are concerned that the benefits provided by this program may no longer apply.
As one of his first official acts as President, Trump released his memorandum on America First Trade Policy. The policy offers insight into the new administration’s trade priorities and calls for a review of current trade-related policies. President Trump says his goal is to establish “a robust and reinvigorated trade policy that promotes investment and productivity, enhances our Nation’s industrial and technological advantages, defends our economic and national security, and — above all — benefits American workers, manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, and businesses.”
The Trump Administration has demonstrated a willingness to apply new tariffs to goods entering the U.S. as a viable tactic under its America First strategy to achieve greater fairness in its dealings with other countries. The application of tariffs is authorized under a number of standard legal procedures, such as trade remedy investigations to mitigate dumping of goods at less than fair value into the U.S. market or eliminating the unfair price advantages of government subsidies, and use of section 301 duties to respond to unfair trade practices by other countries. However, the broad-brush use of tariffs to coerce our trading partners to make concessions in non-trade areas to resolve a domestic crisis is relatively new.
I can’t help but reflect on a negotiation seminar I took in law school, where we studied the Madman Theory, popularized by Richard Nixon. The theory suggests that acting unpredictably or being willing to take extreme actions can create leverage. If your opponent believes you might “blow it all up,” they may feel forced to make concessions. This strategy clearly echoes Trump’s approach to trade policy.
President Donald Trump made headlines when he announced an External Revenue Service (ERS) agency to collect tariff incomes. The announcement sparked a heated debate among trade experts, economists, and business leaders. But, what exactly would be the purpose of the agency? Well, we can take the words spoken from his inauguration address as an answer.
China has significantly expanded its economic and geopolitical footprint in Latin America, particularly through the acquisition and development of critical infrastructure such as ports, airfields, and railways. This strategic move has raised questions about the long-term implications for regional sovereignty, global trade routes, and the future of the Panama Canal, a linchpin of international maritime commerce.
If you have a company that imports chemicals – whether they are used as raw materials or components for onward manufacturing, or finished goods containing chemical components – you have been facing significant challenges over the last half-dozen years. Some of these challenges include the trade wars with China (I’m looking at you, Section 301) and the disruptive impact of COVID-19 to global supply chains. In response to these challenges, you have maybe modified your supply chain to reduce your dependence on Chinese chemical imports. Or perhaps your supply chain was not largely affected by Section 301 tariffs (if so, consider yourself lucky – and may your luck hold!).
A customs broker license is issued to a person who has successfully passed a grueling licensing exam (after paying the exam fee), submitted a license application (along with another fee), and passed the subsequent FBI background investigation. The open-book exam, which lasts 4½ hours and comprises 80 multiple-choice questions, is ostensibly intended to measure one’s knowledge about various customs-related regulations and practices yet experience or employment in a customs-related job is not a prerequisite.