In light of the recently approved judicial reform in Mexico, and to provide legal certainty and security in the transfer of goods in foreign trade operations, the Mexican Association of Freight Agents (Amacarga) and the National Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Services of Mexico City (Canaco)  signed an alliance to receive help and advice on mediation and arbitration.

“This type of agreement is very important for us, especially today in the face of a judicial reform that seems uncertain, and this type of commercial arbitration helps us resolve commercial conflicts without going to court,” said Juan Pablo Pacheco, president of Amacarga.

During the symbolic signing of this agreement that took place during its fourth Ordinary Assembly, he explained that the movement of goods will have greater legal certainty in the face of changes in the Judiciary.

Guillermo Madrigal, general secretary of the Canaco Mediation and Arbitration Center, said that through the alliance they will train freight forwarders in relation to mediation and arbitration procedures.

“The judges are new, they will adhere to new guidelines, we are facing an adverse scenario for the resolution of disputes, so it is important to offer dispute solutions that range from legal to contractual, not necessarily having a contract, but through the Bill of Lading, an invoice or a shipment,” he explained.

Vicente Gutiérrez, vice president of Canaco Mexico City, mentioned that the Mediation and Arbitration Center has resolved thousands of conflicts that represent costs of between two billion pesos or 200 thousand pesos.

“Today, more than ever, we must create synergy and strategic alliances. Today, we all need each other and we have to support each other. Freight forwarders are essential for foreign trade, not only in Mexico but in the world,” he said.

During the meeting, the actions that Amacarga carried out in 2024 were mentioned. Virginia Gallardo, delegate selected for IATA, explained that the approach seeks to work better with airlines, countries and associations in the sector.

“We have a proposal, because we have detected that those who are IATA agents and who want to access their IATA CASS portal have many questions about how to use it. And the project we are carrying out is to open a training course for us to identify and use the portal,” he said.

He also mentioned that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) was seeking greater openness and participation in its events.

Likewise, the graduation of the second generation of the Diploma in International Security Standards for Freight Agents was held , a project that seeks to increase security in the supply chain.

On this occasion, the companies UCA Universal Cargo , OIS International Services, Alliance, Fracht Mex  and Imex participated.

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At the close of the second quarter of 2024 (2Q24), the Transport and Logistics Confidence Index (ICTYL), prepared by T21 Business Intelligence, reached its second best record in history, in an exercise that has been carried out since 1Q18.

Following the elections, with Claudia Sheinbaum’s assumption of the presidency of Mexico and with some political decisions already taken, the ICTYL returned to a moderate level and at the end of 3Q24 stood at 102.1 points , the lowest level of the last four quarters.

In the 3Q24 results, 66.7% of respondents recorded increases above 5% in their billing levels, with the highest volume being in the range of 5% to 10 percent.

One of the most questioned decisions of the current federal administration, as well as of the composition of the Congress of the Union, is the so-called judicial reform , which is perceived unfavorably by the businessmen and managers who responded to the ICTYL survey, as stated by 69% of those surveyed.

In another of the current questions, it stands out that at the end of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration , 56% of those who responded rated him as unfavorable and only 15% as favorable.

The ICTYL is developed by sending a survey directly to 140 managers and businessmen in the transport and logistics sector, who share their perspective on the industry. This exercise took 1Q18 as a reference = 100 points.

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AGUASCALIENTES, AGS. – In an environment of tension and uncertainty over judicial reform , Sergio Contreras Pérez, executive president of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (Comce) , highlighted the recent message from President Claudia Sheinbaum , who assured that the revisions in the judicial system do not aim to concentrate power, but rather to strengthen security, investment and combat corruption.

During the recent US-Mexico CEO Dialogue summit , Sheinbaum Pardo addressed 240 Mexican and American businessmen, where one of the topics was the reform of the Judicial Branch, after the United States Trade Representative, Katherine Tai , expressed the neighboring country’s concern on this issue.

“The message that President Sheinbaum sent is going to be very interesting because she said that there will not be any kind of insecurity that will arise due to the situation of the revision of the laws in the judicial part. When there is security, a commitment, when presenting and dialoguing with the businessmen, it gives a feeling of greater security and greater knowledge of what is being attempted to be done,” said Contreras on the eve of the 30th Mexican Foreign Trade Congress.

He also noted that this approach offers greater certainty and confidence to entrepreneurs , creating a favorable environment for investment.

On the other hand, in relation to the Republican candidate for the presidency of the United States, Donald Trump , Contreras was clear in mentioning that, although the former American president is known for his statements, he usually acts with pragmatism.

“Political situations go one way, economic and commercial situations go another way. Political issues do not really affect the economic and commercial relationship between two entities. Trump is a person who talks a lot, but when it is necessary to make decisions he does not shoot himself in the foot, he is a person who reflects and the interests in his own country do not allow him to do so,” said Sergio Contreras.

In this regard, he indicated that, for example, despite having threatened to impose high tariffs, such as 200% on cars produced in Mexico , Contreras emphasized that Trump would not make decisions that harm the interests of his own country, since a large part of the supply of the American automotive industry depends on Mexico.

“Forty percent of the American automotive industry’s supplies come from Mexico, the most important sector of the American economy. You can imagine if there weren’t any little obstacles in the way of progressing on that path,” he said.

Regarding the review of the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) , Contreras clarified that it is an adjustment process, not a renegotiation.

According to Contreras, this trade agreement is crucial for both countries, as they are so closely integrated at the economic, financial and industrial levels that there is no room for reversing it.

“We, the businessmen, are reviewing it, we are already reviewing the possible needs that we may have to make some adjustments to it, because it is a review, not a renegotiation,” he said.

The review aims to ensure that it continues to benefit both parties, particularly in key sectors such as the automotive industry.

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After the Senate voted with a qualified majority of 86 votes in favor and 41 against, the reform to the judicial power continued its path to approval by local congresses, which this morning of September 12 already had the approval of 18 states, so only its publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) will remain pending.

Various business organizations warned prior to the Senate vote of the risk that the judicial reform proposed by the Federal Executive could generate for investments, and that this could contain the dynamic wave of nearshoring , where, according to estimates, this effect alone could attract 48 billion dollars (mdd) of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), in addition to the normal rate of these flows.

Even in the uncertainty of the September 10 vote in the Senate, the Texas Public Policy Foundation shared a message through its account that has generated uncertainty and concern.

“Texas is ready to welcome investment dollars that may be looking for a new home as a result of the uncertainty surrounding Mexico’s sweeping judicial reform. We offer a stable, business-friendly environment for global investors without drastically changing powers. We respect business,” reads the X account of this research institute.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation aims to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise, according to information on its website.

In this context of uncertainty due to the approval of the reform to the judicial branch by the Federal Congress, the lack of a reliable infrastructure in customs matters continues to reduce Mexico’s competitiveness.

“Since Monday we have been facing interruptions in the Customs system again, which is why we operated for a few hours and the process was stopped again, with what this implies for trade between Mexico and the United States,” Manuel Sotelo Suárez, vice president of the Northern Region of the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar), told T21 .

Sotelo said that in the Ciudad Juárez area alone there are 400 maquiladoras that daily motivate between three and four thousand transport vehicles to cross to El Paso, Texas, to maintain commercial operations between both countries. If in regular operation the crossing can take two or three hours, now this can double.

“Priority is being given to urgent shipments, and non-crucial materials are being left for times when there is a greater flow through customs. But this affects all those involved, and we hope that the system will soon stabilize,” said Sotelo Suárez.

The businessman even added that the activation of a contingency to operate manual processes was authorized, “we have photocopies, but this is becoming even more complex to operate.”

In the current state of uncertainty, where Texas maintains a policy of attracting investment, as happened with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the recurring situation of intermittent customs operations does not contribute to an environment of efficiency and productivity.

Based on data from the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM), in the period January – July 2024, the country’s border, maritime and internal customs had generated a collection of 661 thousand 347.86 million pesos (mdp), that is, an increase of 1.8% below what had been achieved in 2023, and where only border customs face an increase in tax collection.

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AGUASCALIENTES, AGS. – Aguascalientes is ready to receive new foreign investments , said Governor Tere Jiménez during an event, who without revealing figures highlighted the state’s potential in the context of nearshoring, attracting projects from different parts of the world.

In this regard, Jiménez stressed that the state is in talks with companies from countries such as the United States, Japan, Germany, Turkey and India , which anticipates a new wave of foreign capital that will contribute to economic development and job creation in the region.

In addition, the governor emphasized that Aguascalientes remains one of the main destinations for doing business in Mexico , highlighting the combination of highly trained personnel, an educational system aligned with the demands of the industrial sector and an environment conducive to investment.

“We are convinced that Aguascalientes is ready to receive more companies and that we will continue to be a benchmark in attracting foreign investment,” said Jiménez.

The governor also called for strengthening the rule of law in Aguascalientes , stating that this is key to maintaining investor confidence, referring to issues regarding the approval of judicial reform.

“We will always respect justice and maintain a strong rule of law in the state, which is essential to continue generating a safe and attractive environment for investment,” said Jiménez.

He also stressed that this position is essential to consolidate current and future negotiations with foreign companies.

Jiménez also mentioned that Aguascalientes shows leadership in job creation , positioning itself as an attractive business destination thanks to its infrastructure and working conditions.

“Aguascalientes is one of the states with the best conditions for investment, and we will continue working to further improve our business environment,” said the governor.

Tere Jiménez made these statements during the launch of the Nissan Kicks 2025 model, an event in which an investment of 700 million dollars and the consolidation of Aguascalientes as a key center for manufacturing were announced.

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The president of the Mexican Association of Vehicle Leasing Companies (AMAVe) , Antonio Pinto , considered that our country has enormous potential to expand the automotive leasing market.

At the 8th AMAVe Forum “Charting routes for mobility” , organized by this association, he said that strengthening this sector will benefit all the chains that participate in this business model .

As part of this event, analysis and discussion tables were held to find out where the automotive leasing market is going , considering various aspects such as the political context, the use of Artificial Intelligence, and the implementation of electromobility.

In the panel “Electromobility and relocation”, it was identified that in order to achieve progress in electromobility in the country, there must be joint participation between the public and private sectors, as well as the agents that participate in the development of this technology in vehicles. Eric Ramírez, regional director for Latin America of Urban Science ; Manuel Tamayo, Country Head Mexico of Element Fleet Management ; and Marco Andueza, CEO of Avasa, participated in this panel.

They shared that one of the biggest challenges is the issue of charging , so they asked for more help from the government and business sectors so that users of these types of cars have a better experience.

In the talk “MaaS Mobility as a service. The future of public and private transportation in Latin America”, Paulo Henrique Silva de Andrade , trust advisor for mobility and technology, stressed that Brazil is going through a transition in the way of getting around , which has led to the use of electric cars for urban service and shared use.

During his participation, he indicated that technology has enabled connectivity in these vehicles, and highlighted the Alliance for Mobility electrification project in Brazil, in which more than 250 million reais have been invested since the beginning of this initiative.

He added that Mobility as a Service (MaaS) has an approach that integrates different forms of transportation into a single platform, in order to improve urban mobility .

Businesses must reinvent themselves and adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI), it was identified in the panel “Perspectives on the adoption of artificial intelligence in Mexican companies: Challenges and opportunities”, where Gustavo Barcia, founder and CEO of Needed Education, participated .

Barcia said that this technology had its first sketches in 1956 and that it has evolved with the development of devices and video games until it became ChatGPT , which, through prompts or instructions, generates responses, images or videos.

In the car leasing industry, AI is applied in automatic vehicle inspection , dynamic price management, predictive maintenance, automated returns, and chatbots for customer service; however, in Mexico, the main obstacle to implementing it is the lack of knowledge about the route to follow, so it is necessary to develop skills to understand its use , said Gustavo Barcia.

Regarding the current context in Mexico, Otto Granados, an international consultant on education and innovation, considered that the political scenario in the country is “unprecedented” due to various factors, such as the supermajority of Morena in Congress, as well as the reform of the Judicial Branch , which has generated uncertainty among investors and in society .

In the panel “Mexico in the internal political challenge and the challenges abroad”, he explained that the problem for the next federal administration will be that its formal electoral power and control over the Legislative and Judicial branches will not be sufficient to face challenges, such as reducing the low educational level and boosting economic growth .

One topic that was present at the AMAVe Forum is Mexico’s ties with China, where this approach arises precisely from our country’s proximity to the United States, as stated by David Nájera Rivas, president of the Mexican Foreign Service Association , in the talk “China and its geopolitical and economic influence.”

It is clear that China is uncomfortable for the United States on the commercial level, but Mexico could take great advantage of its geographic location , due to the relocation of production lines ( nearshoring ), warned David Nájera.

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Issues related to judicial reform generate significant debate about its potential impact on informality within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Mexico. Specialists consider that it could have collateral effects on the business environment, especially in sectors where this segment depends on formality to integrate into global supply chains.

In this sense, the possible administrative burden or changes in regulation could cause some SMEs to opt for informality as a mechanism to avoid new obligations.

In this regard, Rodrigo Ramírez, Regional Product Marketing Manager of CIAL Dun & Bradstreet , shared his vision on the matter and, although he distanced himself from the political issue, he explained the main trends that could counteract some of the effects of this reform in the context of SMEs.

According to Ramírez, digitalization is revolutionizing the way large companies evaluate their suppliers, streamlining these processes by up to 80% and reducing the time required by up to 95%. This technological advance allows companies to manage large volumes of supplier information more efficiently.

Digital platforms become essential tools for companies, allowing them to receive and evaluate supplier documentation through secure links.

In addition, automated decision engines generate data that determine whether a supplier meets established requirements, thus streamlining the process of incorporating them into supply chains.

On the other hand, although digitalization significantly improves evaluation processes, Ramírez pointed out that SMEs face major challenges . Among them, he highlights the need to strengthen their credibility and visibility in a highly competitive market.

Ramírez stressed the importance of the DUNS number , a unique global identifier that accredits a company as trustworthy and facilitates its participation in tenders with large corporations.

SMEs must also improve their financial health and demonstrate their ability to meet short-term obligations.

He recommended that SMEs work on their sustainability , not only to improve their market opportunities, but also to align themselves with the growing demands for environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria.

He highlighted that more than 70% of global companies already incorporate ESG criteria in their supplier selection processes, and SMEs must adapt to these new requirements to remain competitive.

Although judicial reform could have an indirect impact on the formality of SMEs , current trends in supplier evaluation , driven by digitalization and ESG criteria, offer an opportunity for small and medium-sized companies to strengthen their position in the global market, provided they adopt the necessary tools and practices to meet new market demands.

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