On December 28, 2016, the Ministry of Economy published, in the Official Gazette of the Federation, an agreement announcing the entry into force of the Sixth Additional Protocol to Appendix II of the Economic Complementation Agreement No. 55 (ACE No. 55). The foregoing, in order to know the Regional Content Indices that will be applied to various auto parts until March 19, 2019.
On March 9, 2015, the Fifth Additional Protocol to Appendix II of ACE No. 55 between Mexico and Brazil was signed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in accordance with the following:
Increasing and duty-free export quotas are established for the trade of light vehicles
The rule of origin for auto parts and light vehicles is maintained at 35%, reaching 40% in 2019.
The date for agreeing modalities, quotas and terms for the trade of light vehicles is postponed until December 31, 2018.
It will return to free trade as of March 19, 2019.
On December 28, 2016, the Brazilian authorities published the Sixth Additional Protocol to Appendix II of ACE No. 55, said instrument will regulate trade in the automotive sector between Mexico and Brazil until March 19, 2019. In particular, it establishes the following:
* The regional content index to which some auto parts will be subject is established, with an ICR of 10 to 30%, until March 18, 2019. Some examples:
* 8408.20.00 ICR 30%
* 8483.10.00 ICR 25%
* 8708.10.00 ICR 10%
* As of March 19, 2019, Mexico and Brazil must establish a new formula for regional content. In order to do so, the parties must start the respective negotiations on March 18, 2018.
Source: http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5467910&fecha=28/12/2016
On January 6, 2017, the Ministry of Economy published, in the Official Gazette of the Federation, an AGREEMENT that modifies the diverse one that determines the rules for the application of the Decree for the support of the competitiveness of the terminal automotive industry and the promotion to the development of the domestic automobile market.
On December 31, 2003, the Decree to support the competitiveness of the terminal automotive industry and to promote the development of the domestic automobile market was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation in order to establish benefits for the support of the competitiveness of the terminal industry producing new light motor vehicles, established in Mexico, as well as the requirements to obtain said benefits.
On June 30, 2004, the Agreement that determines the Rules for the application of the Decree to support the competitiveness of the terminal automotive industry and promote the development of the domestic automobile market was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation.
Among the procedures that this Agreement regulates are applications for authorization and renewal of registration as companies producing new light motor vehicles in Mexico provided for in the Decree mentioned in the first recital.
The 2013-2018 Program for a Close and Modern Government, published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on August 30, 2013, aims to optimize the use of public resources, the use of new information and communication technologies , and promoting transparency and accountability.
The implementation of a System to carry out procedures related to registration and renewal as companies producing new light motor vehicles in Mexico will contribute to the fulfillment of digitizing the procedures and services of the National Catalog of State Procedures and Services (CNTSE), with based on the objective of establishing a national digital strategy that accelerates the insertion of Mexico in the Information and Knowledge Society, foreseen in the National Development Plan 2013-2018
On January 6, 2017, the Ministry of Economy published, in the Official Gazette of the Federation, an AGREEMENT that modifies the diverse one that determines the rules for the application of the Decree for the support of the competitiveness of the terminal automotive industry and the promotion to the development of the domestic automobile market.
On December 31, 2003, the Decree to support the competitiveness of the terminal automotive industry and to promote the development of the domestic automobile market was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation in order to establish benefits for the support of the competitiveness of the terminal industry producing new light motor vehicles, established in Mexico, as well as the requirements to obtain said benefits.
On June 30, 2004, the Agreement that determines the Rules for the application of the Decree to support the competitiveness of the terminal automotive industry and promote the development of the domestic automobile market was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation.
Among the procedures that this Agreement regulates are applications for authorization and renewal of registration as companies producing new light motor vehicles in Mexico provided for in the Decree mentioned in the first recital.
The 2013-2018 Program for a Close and Modern Government, published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on August 30, 2013, aims to optimize the use of public resources, the use of new information and communication technologies , and promoting transparency and accountability.
The implementation of a System to carry out procedures related to registration and renewal as companies producing new light motor vehicles in Mexico will contribute to the fulfillment of digitizing the procedures and services of the National Catalog of State Procedures and Services (CNTSE), with based on the objective of establishing a national digital strategy that accelerates the insertion of Mexico in the Information and Knowledge Society, foreseen in the National Development Plan 2013-2018
The Ministry of Economy issues general rules and criteria in Foreign Trade, which establish the following:
Numerals 3.2.27, 3.2.28 and 3.2.29 are added, which establish the following:
• Establishes the requirements to obtain a favorable opinion from the SAT,
• Indicates the requirements that the description of the production process must meet.
• Indicates the stages that the investment program schedule must meet.
The specific requirements of the IMMEX program are also modified, highlighting the following:
•The requirements that must be attached to the authorization request for the expansion of the IMMEX Program are specified, for the purposes of sensitive merchandise.
• The requirements that must be declared in the free writing are modified, as well as those declared in the registered public accountant's report, which must be attached to the subsequent extension request for importation of sensitive product. In addition, it adds the obligation to present a document containing the total volume requested, broken down by tariff fraction; It adds the assumption of carrying out a verification visit by the Ministry of Economy in conjunction with the SAT, prior to the SE issuing the corresponding authorization; and the authority's resolution period is added, which will be 10 days from the day after the request is received.
The Agreement specifies that the Digital Window will be enabled to carry out the IMMEX Program extension process as of the business day following the publication of the Agreement.
In addition, authorizations for extensions of the aforementioned merchandise that are issued before the entry into force of this Agreement will be in force until the day before it enters into force.
The aforementioned Agreement will enter into force 45 calendar days following its publication.
Source: http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5465032&fecha=12/12/2016
The WCO (World Customs Organization) has published the accepted amendments to the Harmonized System (HS) Nomenclature that will enter into force on 1 January 2017. It includes 233 sets of amendments, divided as follows: agricultural sector 85; chemical sector 45; wood sector 13; textile sector 15; metal base sector 6; machinery sector 25; transport sector 18; other sectors 26.
Since the entry into force of the current version of the HS (HS 2012), the HS Committee has been revising this version of the HS nomenclature for almost five years. HS 2017 will be the sixth version of the HS since the Convention entered into force in 1983. HS 2017 will enter into force for all HS Contracting Parties, but will exclude any amendments objected to during the six month time frame.
While January 2017 may seem far off, the WCO is working on the development of requisite correlation tables between the old and new editions of the HS, and on updating the HS publications, such as the Explanatory Notes, the Classification Opinions, the Alphabetical Index and the HS online database.
Customs administrations also have a huge task to ensure timely implementation of the HS? 2017? Edition, as required by the HS Convention. They are therefore encouraged to begin the process of implementing the HS 2017 in their national Customs tariff or statistical nomenclatures.
Link: http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/nomenclature/instrument-and-tools/hs-nomenclature-2017-edition/amendments-effective-from-1-january-2017.aspx
