On November 14, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order exempting certain agricultural products from the reciprocal tariffs. The exemptions for certain agricultural products went into effect on November 13, 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.
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.
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.
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.
The convergence of payment stablecoins, blockchain settlement infrastructure, and the regulatory clarity provided by the GENIUS Act of 2025 has created conditions for HTTP 402’s activation. The x402 protocol, developed by Coinbase in collaboration with Cloudflare and others through the x402 Foundation, operationalizes this long-reserved status code to enable instant, automated payments: particularly for autonomous AI agents conducting machine-to-machine commerce.
The Trump Administration is pursuing a new style of trade management based on use of tariffs to rectify trade deficits and to set new “reciprocal” tariff rates to level the playing field for all of its trading partners. Critical minerals are a key component of the strategy, because the U.S. is heavily dependent of foreign sources for most of the critical minerals used in modern manufacturing. In response to Trump-imposed tariffs and threats of other trade actions, China has repeatedly used export controls on rare earths and other critical minerals as leverage. This article looks at the current state of critical minerals trade actions, starting with new US agreements with multiple trading partners, then reviewing international norms and proceeding through other trade actions involving critical minerals.
On November 10, 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) delayed the effective date of its new Affiliates Rule for a one-year period, until November 9, 2026, after U.S. and China trade talks. The Affiliates Rule, announced on September 29, 2025, expands export controls under the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) to extend to non-listed “affiliates” owned or controlled by listed entities (on the Entity List, the Military End User List “MEU”, or certain sanctioned parties) 50% or more in the aggregate.
On February 10, 2025, the President issued Presidential Proclamations Under Section 232 of the U.S. Code adjusting imports of steel and aluminum into the United States. These Proclamations provided an expanded listing of steel and aluminum derivative articles but also instructed the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to establish a process for including additional derivative aluminum and steel articles within the scope of the ad valorem duties.
General Motors (GM) has instructed thousands of its suppliers to phase out sourcing parts and materials from China by 2027. The exit strategy began in early 2024, with the directive gaining momentum in spring of this year, 2025. This directive is part of GM’s broader strategy to enhance supply chain resiliency and reduce exposure to geopolitical risks, particularly amid escalating, or let’s just say, continuously fluctuating, U.S.–China trade tensions.
On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. The Supreme Court did not itself order refunds; the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) did.
With the ever-growing barrage of rhetoric over just how, when, and if, AI will kill us all, the conversation also lends itself to, do we believe it will be AI that kills us, or a bad actor using AI?
The time has come. The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security’s (“BIS”) Affiliates Rule that was postponed last year is slated to take effect November 10, 2026, barring another extension.
CBP issued an Advance notice of proposed rulemaking, “Heightened Import Disclosures for Supply Chain Visibility,” 91 Fed Reg 56408 (FRN), on September 2, 2026. Responses are due to CBP by December 1, 2026, using the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments via docket number USCBP–2026–1058.
Chinese President Xi Jinping made a reciprocal state visit to Washington last week, meeting with President Donald Trump. The White House announced the new U.S.-China Board of Trade had reached a consensus on recommendations for more favorable tariff treatment on $30 billion of non-sensitive goods in each direction.
The Securities and Exchange Commission issued a proposed rule, “Regulation Crypto Assets,” 91 Fed. Reg. 54510, on August 21, 2026 (FRN). Comments are due by October 20, 2026. Comments should reference File Number S7-2026-27 and may be submitted through the SEC.
Vào ngày 25 tháng 8 năm 2026, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) đã phối hợp với U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) và U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) để ra mắt Lực Lượng Chống Gian Lận Thương Mại (Trade Fraud Task Force). Lực lượng này đóng vai trò quan trọng trong chính sách siết chặt việc kiểm soát hành vi trốn thuế quan, gian lận hải quan và các hình thức buôn lậu theo Tariff Act of 1930, False Claims Act (FCA), cũng như các quy định về gian lận thương mại và âm mưu phạm tội thuộc Title 18.
On August 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) launched the Trade Fraud Task Force (Task Force) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The cross-agency Task Force is a crucial part of the Administration’s enforcement agenda against tariff evasion, Customs fraud, and smuggling schemes under the Tariff Act of 1930, the False Claims Act (FCA), and Title 18’s trade fraud and conspiracy provisions.
On September 18, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began enhanced enforcement of importer of record (IOR) identity data on CBP Form 5106. CBP announced the enforcement program in a general notice published in the Federal Register. Accuracy of Importer of Record Data Submitted to CBP.
Unused merchandise drawbacks allow a claimant to recover up to 99% of the duties paid on imported goods that are exported, unused, within five years of importation. For importers of apparel, footwear, eyewear, and accessories, customer returns complicate that recovery. Once a product has been sold at retail and is returned, United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) treats it as merchandise that may have been used for its intended purpose, and its new appearance does not prove otherwise.