News Articles

Global Chaos

Global Chaos and Global Trade – The New World Disorder and the Ensuing Economic Carnage

Bob Brewer January 26, 2026

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.

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usmca

The Upcoming USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC Review The Options are: A Renegotiation, A Few Revisions, or a Formal Exit

Bob Brewer January 10, 2026

The exit of a country, such as the U.S., from the USMCA, well, that’s just crazy, right? Afterall, it’s a powerhouse of a trade agreement between the three nations. According to the U.S. International Trade Administration, the United States conducts over $1.3 trillion in annual trade with Mexico and Canada under the USMCA framework and supports roughly 17 million jobs across North America.

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IEEPA Refund

Potential IEEPA Refunds Guidance

Adrienne Braumiller December 24, 2025

The legality of the Fentanyl IEEPA tariffs and the Reciprocal IEEPA tariffs is currently pending in the Supreme Court. A decision is expected in January, although it could come sooner, though the Court may not directly address refund mechanics. Instead, it could remand the issue to the Court of International Trade (CIT), which would delay guidance for several months.

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BRICS

BRICS and the Drive Towards De-Dollarization: Has It Stalled?

Victoria Holmes November 30, 2025

Could BRICS break the dollar’s grip? The answer is coming into sharper focus, and it’s more complicated than either the optimists or skeptics predicted. Since our previous analysis, BRICS has made concrete moves toward de-dollarization while simultaneously confronting harsh economic and political realities. The gap between ambition and achievement has never been clearer.

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tariffs

Taxing Imports: Tracing the Role of Tariffs in U.S. Economic Policy

Adrienne Braumiller November 30, 2025

In the Chinese zodiac calendar, 2025 is the year of the snake. The snake is said to represent wisdom and strategy. As it occasionally sheds its skin, it is also said to represent a change or an inflection point. Whether American trade policy in the year of the snake exemplifies wisdom and strategy depends on one’s political perspective. Whether it exemplifies a major transformation and inflection point is unquestionable.

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Mexican Customs

New Mexican Customs Law – Nueva Ley Aduanera de Mexico

Brenda Cordova November 30, 2025

On November 19, 2025, a Decree amending, adding and repealing various legal provisions of the Mexican Customs law was published in the Diario Oficial de la Federacion (Mexican Official Gazette). This reform will enter into force on January 1, 2026. Although the Customs Law has been amended multiple times in the last 30 years, this reform is widely considered the most significant since December 15, 1995.

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tequila

Developing a Tequila Brand for Export from Mexico

Brenda Cordova November 30, 2025

The development of a tequila brand begins with a foundational step: registering a trademark in Mexico, the United States, or any other intended markets. However, trademark protection is only the starting point. Building a tequila brand requires a broader business and regulatory strategy involving multiple teams—Customs and trade, finance, marketing, and legal—to plan for production, cost structures, distribution, sales, and export-related compliance.

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New Value Manifest

New Value Manifest/Manifestacion de Valor – via VUCEM

Brenda Cordova November 30, 2025

Beginning December 9, 2025, importers in Mexico will be required to complete and submit the Electronic Value Manifest through VUCEM (Mexico’s Electronic Single Window). This measure increases the importer’s direct participation and responsibility in determining and declaring the correct customs value of imported goods.

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tariffs

Tariffs, Deals, Steel, Aluminum and AI – Oh My!  Welcome to the New Normal

Bruce Leeds November 30, 2025

New tariffs, changed tariffs, and reduced tariffs are announced with short notice. The duties on merchandise can change while a shipment is in the middle of the ocean. The status of free trade agreements has become uncertain. New detailed duties are assessed on steel and aluminum and their derivatives. Artificial intelligence is playing an increasing role.

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US and Canada Investment in Mexico

Legal Framework Governing Foreign Direct Investment from the United States and Canada in Mexico

Brenda Cordova June 6, 2023

A large number of companies considering relocating their business abroad have turned their eyes to Mexico, which has become an attractive place for investors to relocate their business, mainly because it is close to the United States and Canada (nearshoring), the labor costs are relatively low, the availability of IMMEX (maquiladora) program, and because there is a preferential treatment to originating goods and foreign investments from the United States and Canada that are protected under the USMCA, among other factors.

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Prior-disclosure

Should You File a Prior Disclosure in 2023?

Adrienne Braumiller February 6, 2023

2023 is more than a brand-new year – it is an opportunity for your company to prioritize supply chain and customs compliance. For some companies, this means filing a prior disclosure with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Companies that are frequent importers are seriously considering disclosing entry violations under the condition that Customs will not issue civil penalties against them.

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The U.S. and China are in a trade war

Doing Business with China Continues to Get More Difficult for U.S. Companies

Adrienne Braumiller February 6, 2023

The year 2022 saw a substantial increase in export restrictions applicable to China. The U.S. and China are not only in a trade war but there is also an effort by the U.S. to (1) prevent development of supercomputers, semiconductors and related products and technologies, and (2) prevent use of forced labor – especially involving the Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region.

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China and India trade with Russia at record levels

China and India, A Year Later, Post Invasion, Still Walking the Tightrope With the U.S. as They Continue to Set Records in Trade with Russia

Bob Brewer February 6, 2023

China’s trade with Russia hit a record $190 billion U.S. in 2022, key operative word “record.” China is setting a course to become Russia’s top trade partner and prove to the world just what the “no limits” partnership can produce. An additional “maybe some limits” friend to Russia among the world’s larger economies is India.

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Exporting to Mexico legal requirements

Exporting to Mexico

Brenda Cordova February 6, 2023

If you are relocating to Mexico, or you are a producer, distributor, seller, etc., and the recipient of your goods is in Mexico because your client, final consumer, manufacturer, distributor, service provider, etc. is there, then, it is more than likely that you will be the exporter or the party responsible for reviewing and preparing some or all of the records needed to ship the goods to Mexico.

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Revisions and updates to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)

Hot (or at least warm) Off the Press: Updates & Revisions to the ITAR

Bruce Leeds February 6, 2023

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) is continuing its project to revise and update the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Some of the changes are editorial and some are substantive. If you are affected by the ITAR or think you might be, you will need to stay on top of the changes because some (or all) may affect you.

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