We drive Results & Value

Objective of Our USMCA and International Trade Consulting

Our professional trade agreement and foreign trade consultants arm our clients with the essential knowledge and expertise required to drive cross border cost savings, optimized trade performance, and informed foreign investment decisions.

Delivery of USMCA and International Trade Consulting

Our team consists of business minded cross-border supply chain consultants, economists, lawyers, and global trade agreement negotiators. Our unique approach covers all angles of analysis and integrates all legal, economic, and international supply chain viewpoints.

This consulting is delivered by our team of supply chain experts from Borderless Coverage in the United States and by our sister company, AGON (www.agon.mx), in Mexico who work together to optimize our client’s performance while mitigating risks. They have been part of the most relevant trade negotiation processes worldwide, such as CPTPP, Mexico- European Union Trade Agreement, USMCA, NAFTA, and the Pacific Alliance, among others. They also negotiated bilateral investment agreements with countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Haiti, Turkey, Jordan and Costa Rica. Additionally, they have represented Mexico in international fora and organizations such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Our USMCA and International Trade Consulting Experts

Kenneth Smith Ramos: Ken is the former Head of NAFTA from Mexico in Washington D.C. He was the Chief Negotiator of USMCA for Mexico. Ken now works with Borderless Coverage and is a partner at AGON in Mexico City. He works directly with our clients to get them into USMCA compliance and is an expert on international trade.

Fernando Mayer de Leeuw: Fernando is the former Directorate for International Trade in Services & Investment. He negotiated these sections of USMCA for Mexico. Fernando is a partner at Borderless Coverage and AGON in Mexico City.

Background

On January 1st, 1994, the United States, Canada, and Mexico signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Tariffs were eliminated progressively and all duties and quantitative restrictions, with the exception of those on a limited number of agricultural products traded with Canada, were eliminated by 2008.

Thanks to it, the economic relationship among the parties increased exponentially. Nowadays, millions in dollars of goods are exchanged at the border divided by the Rio Grande, every minute. In the same vein, in 2018, the US goods and services trade with Mexico totalled an estimated $671.1 billion.

However, after more than 25 years of the agreement, the legal instrument required a thorough update. With the conviction of bringing NAFTA to the reality of the 21st Century, in 2017, a negotiation process began.

After a tough negotiation, the three countries reached a new agreement in December of 2019. The new instrument was officially called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and it replaced NAFTA on July 1, 2020.

Considering the numerous changes that the new agreement is bringing to the relation, it is imperative for all those involved directly or indirectly in trade operations in North America region, to update their knowledge so they can take advantage of the new legal framework.

Learn more about Borderless Coverage Here.

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