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”.
The President signed into law the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins of 2025’or ‘‘GENIUS Act of 2025’” (the Act) on July 18, 2025. The new law establishes a basis for regulators to permit a variety of bank and non-bank entities to issue payment stablecoins that will be used for payments and reserves for a variety of purposes. This analysis covers the major provisions of the new law.
Since taking office on January 20, 2025, the Trump Administration has undertaken an aggressive trade policy that has impacted, and will continue to impact, all countries trading with the US. Many of the actions seek to reverse the established principles of trade policy that have been supported by both political parties, enshrined in the rules of international agreements and organizations, and regulated by executive branch agencies since the end of World War II.
From a Mexican resident’s perspective, who is also involved in international trade, it appears that since the Trump administration took office, the global economic scenario has been altered by an escalating trade war, characterized by the imposition of tariffs by the U.S. government, on a range of countries. These measures, intended to safeguard the U.S. interests, have affected the relationships with certain international markets, as the U.S. is showing signs of progressive isolationist practices.
My internship in Mexico was with the Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT), the office responsible for applying tax and customs legislation, which facilitates trade through customs administration. With its influence extending across both the public and private sectors, SAT stands at the forefront of Mexico’s efforts to promote transparency, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility. My internship experience within this institution offered invaluable insights into its operations and the impact it has on the nation’s economic landscape.
It comes as no surprise China has been a major focus point of the second Trump administration. One of the key reasons for this focus is the increasing national security concerns over technology. In particular, the smuggling of AI chips, which China intends to use in developing advanced AI systems for military purposes and surveillance.
Question 1: How are you advising businesses in your jurisdiction when protecting themselves from the impact of trade wars and sanctions, and what strategies can professional services firms offer to mitigate these risks?
If I heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times, China is the sourcing capital of the world. I’ve also repeated this statement at least 400+ times in many conversations over the years regarding global trade. China, it’s also where the global market goes for rare earth minerals, among thousands of other necessary elements for a veritable plethora of life’s essential things.
On April 2, 2025, President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs, setting a baseline rate of 10% on imports from all countries, with higher rates on dozens of countries which the United States (U.S.) runs trade deficits. Specifically, Trump imposed a 34% tariff on all Chinese imports in response to China’s 67% tariff and non-tariff barriers on U.S. exports, aiming to address what he sees as an unfair trade imbalance.
Since Trump’s first term, tensions between the United States and China, the world’s two largest economies, have been on the rise. President Trump ran for his second presidential term on a promise to reduce reliance on China – and promise kept. In one of his first Presidential actions, President Trump issued an “America First Trade Policy” memorandum dedicating an entire section to trade relations with China. Since then, several tariffs have been imposed on Chinese goods and the duty-free de minimis treatment for goods valued at $800 or less ended.
In a recent Federal Register notice the Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce announced that “On May 1, 2025, the Secretary of Commerce initiated an investigation to determine the effects on the national security of imports of commercial aircraft and jet engines, and parts for commercial aircraft and jet engines. This investigation has been initiated under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (Section 232).” The investigation may take up to 270 days but it can be concluded sooner.