United States
2 items across 1 edition
No. I · Wednesday, 1 July 2026
USMCA joint review formally opens July 1 amid a strained, Canada-sidelined process
What? The first joint review of the US–Mexico–Canada Agreement formally begins today. The US–Mexico track has held bilateral rounds (auto rules of origin, steel/aluminum, "economic security") while talks with Canada remain frozen amid tariff friction; USTR Greer has said he won't recommend renewal without changes. Analysts flag rules of origin, labor enforcement, and sunset structure as the flashpoints.
So what? A rules-of-origin renegotiation means more origin audits and classification complexity for importers, and a breakdown would strain the bilateral customs relationships that cross-border operations depend on.
No. I · Wednesday, 1 July 2026
CJNG "shadow fleet" fuel-smuggling network exposed; Treasury sanctions two Mexicans, nine firms
What? On June 30 the U.S. Treasury sanctioned a fuel-smuggling network tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) — described as the cartel's biggest income source after drugs. Fuel moves via tanker trucks, railcars, and "shadow fleets of maritime vessels," using front companies, false invoices, and misclassified customs documentation to evade Mexican import taxes.
So what? A cartel maritime-smuggling and trade-based-money-laundering scheme built on falsified customs paperwork and shadow-fleet vessels — a concern for manifest scrutiny, entity screening, and liaison with Mexican customs.