“The suspension of activities and the subsequent cancellation of export promotion programs at two plants and warehouses belonging to LAU Industries de México, formerly RUSKIN de México, has been implemented,” the federal agency explained in a statement.

The suspension was carried out at both its facilities in Monterrey, Nuevo León, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, after detecting alleged irregular operations and alleged undervaluation.

“This increase in the aforementioned company’s steel import volume would represent the total steel imports from all IMMEX programs within the segment, recorded in the same quarter of 2024,” he explained.

It’s worth remembering that last March, the Ministry of Economy initiated investigations into imports of various Chinese goods, such as hot-rolled steel, for alleged unfair practices.

Furthermore, in furtherance of the fight against illegal activity in the textile and footwear sectors, the agency also canceled and suspended the IMMEX programs of two companies.

These are the companies Ensenada Textiles and Lancer Orthodontics , which were suspended after detecting irregular operations in their export-import processes, “which translates into unfair competition and consequent damage to the national industry in the sector.”

On December 19, 2024, a decree was published imposing a 35% tariff on 138 tariff items corresponding to manufactured textiles, including footwear products, as part of the measures to protect this industry.

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The Ministry of Economy (SE) reported Tuesday that it has canceled five beneficiary companies of the Program for the Promotion of the Manufacturing, Maquiladora and Export Services Industry (IMMEX) , accused of simulating footwear manufacturing processes with front companies, as part of the second phase of Operation Cleanup , in order to protect the national industry.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, four companies are located in Baja California and one in Jalisco, which have imported nine billion pesos (mdp) .

These companies are Kaizen Inc. and Co Production de Tijuana, located in Tijuana; as well as Soluciones Empresariales MH Fashion and Philkor Trends, located in Ensenada, Baja California; and Grupo Maquilador Sin Frontera, located in Zapopan, Jalisco, which together increased their footwear imports by 1,355% .

“These companies have allegedly misused the program by importing finished products that they keep and sell in the country, which represents unfair competition for the national industry since, in addition to not paying tariffs, they also pay no Value Added Tax (VAT) or Income Tax (ISR),” according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The operation was carried out with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SE), the Baja California and Jalisco governments, the National Guard , and state authorities. The Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) and the Mexican National Customs Agency (ANAM) also participated , initiating the corresponding procedures to cancel the licenses of customs agents and monitor assets and accounts derived from this activity, as well as their beneficiaries.

“Additionally, the Tax Administration Service (SAT) was notified through the General Administration of Foreign Trade Audit (AGACE) so that, within its jurisdiction, it could take the appropriate actions. This would result in the obligation to issue a tax credit and cancel the VAT/IEPS certification, effectively neutralizing these companies,” the federal agency stated.

The national footwear industry has seen an unusual 959% increase in shoe import volumes, affecting more than 20% of the domestic market for this productive sector.

The Ministry of Economy recalled that in previous operations, this agency had already canceled the IMMEX program for companies in Aguascalientes and Baja California that allegedly carried out simulated import operations of ready-made textiles worth 15 billion pesos .

“This means that the operations led by the Ministry of Economy recently totaled 24 billion pesos, representing a significant loss to the Public Treasury and further harm to national industry,” the Ministry of Economy emphasized.

It’s worth remembering that ANAM has canceled 41 customs patents linked to this type of activity, in collusion with various companies nationwide. These companies are also being monitored by the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Ministry of Economy.

The Program for the Promotion of the Manufacturing, Maquiladora, and Export Services Industry, known as IMMEX, allows for the entry of tariff-free inputs for manufacturing in Mexico for export purposes.

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