Mexico Manufacturing & Trade Operations: A Discussion of the Opportunities and Challenges Arising Under the USMCA

This event qualifies for 1 NEI: CCS/MCS

Mexico Manufacturing & Trade Operations: A Discussion of the Opportunities and Challenges Arising Under the USMCA

Mexico has long been an important node in global manufacturing and supply chain networks. While the rise of China diverted some of the trade and investment that would otherwise have gone to Mexico in the 2001-2017 time period, the passage of the USMCA, considered in conjunction with the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, has had the effect of making Mexico, in what represents a historical first, the top trading partner of the United States. This confluence of events presents significant opportunities for companies with global manufacturing and trade footprints. The key to succeeding in the fast-evolving USMCA environment lies in knowing how to leverage its cost-saving and efficiency opportunities while, at the same time, being able to recognize and manage the operational and regulatory risks that come with doing business in Mexico.

This webinar will identify and discuss the many ways in which to make the most of Mexico’s manufacturing and trade opportunities. Focal points will include:

The benefits and risks associated with the USMCA
Mexico’s expansive web of FTAs (including the CPTPP)
The comparative advantage Mexico presents relative to China
The green trade potential embodied in Mexico-centered manufacturing and supply chain operations
The labor and demographic upside that characterizes Mexico’s workforce
U.S.-Mexico AEO alignment

This webinar will also identify and explore strategies for overcoming the challenges and complexities that can arise in connection with Mexican manufacturing and trade operations. These topics will include Mexico’s manufacturing-based export programs (IMMEX, PROSEC) and associated resources (shelter operations, contract manufacturing), customs regimes (temporary importation, bonded warehouses, foreign-trade zones), supply chain capacity, lesser of duty mitigation strategy, regulatory requirements and barriers, cargo security environment, and trade-related dispute resolution framework.

Who should attend?

Trade compliance practitioners
Trade compliance management
Decisionmakers
Legal department
Product managers
Procurement and logistics managers
Finance and accounting department
Customs compliance officers
Trade consultants/advisors
Supply chain managers
Trade policy analysts
Trade press/media

The webinar will include a time for Q&A with webinar participants.

Speaker and Presenter Information

Robert Kossick is a Board Certified International Attorney, Licensed Customs Broker, and Certified Export Specialist whose practice focuses on the planning, compliance, enforcement, and security dimensions of U.S. import and export transactions. With over twenty years of professional experience split between the United States and Latin America, Robert brings seasoned, specialized, and multicultural know-how and perspective to the analysis and resolution of customs and trade issues.

Robert has, over the course of his legal career, practiced customs and trade law with a Fortune 50 corporation, worked as a foreign legal consultant in Mexico, served as a trade policy analyst under former U.S. Trade Representative William Brock, and provided trade consulting/advisory services for the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Washington District Export Council (DEC). Robert currently works as a Senior Trade Advisor with A.N. Deringer.

Robert holds a Ph.D. in International Trade and an LL.M. in Inter-American Law, writes and speaks on international trade matters, and is proficient in Spanish.

Luis F. Martinez has been advising clients for more than 25 years. His practice covers international trade, foreign investment, customs, import and export controls, compliance with non-tariff restrictions, customs litigation, unfair trade practices, export programs, and value-added tax, among other specialized topics.

Before going into private practice, Luis worked as a legal researcher on international trade, investment, and customs matters at the University of Arizona and at Tec de Monterrey. He received his law degree at Tec de Monterrey in 1997 and his LLM in International Trade Law from the University of Arizona in 1999. He is the former Mexico Chair of the U.S.-Mexico Bar Association and a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce, Monterrey Chapter, where he is currently the Chair of the Trade and Logistics Committee.