Of 100 trading partners that the United States has, where Mexico is one of its main allies, in terms of protection and application of intellectual property rights, we are simply on the 'black list'.
And the analysis of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which presides Katherine Taion issues regarding the effectiveness of the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights places us on a Watch List, which deserves bilateral attention to address underlying intellectual property problems.
Although there are seven countries that are on a priority list, Mexico is put on a second Watch List with 20 nations, and there we are at the same level as Algeria, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru and Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Vietnam, for failing to comply and not working on these issues.
For our largest trading partner, one of the most dangerous types of intellectual property violations involves counterfeit products that pose health and safety risks.
In the case of our country, it is directly noted that Mexico needs to fully implement the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC), including intellectual property obligations with transition periods that end in 2024 and 2025. .
One of the several points that stand out is that Mexico continues to suffer from the widespread import, manufacturing, sale, distribution, re-export and transshipment of counterfeit products. The prevalence of counterfeit products at a notorious level, which can be seen everywhere and also increasing every day with the participation of transnational criminal organizations.
And the criticism is direct to this federal administration, since they remind it that in the past, the Mexican authorities carried out important intellectual property investigations, they even remember in the report that searches were carried out to enforce the law against the identified markets. as piracy centers, such as Mercado San Juan de Dios and Tepito.
However, nothing has been done anymore, although there are administrative actions against counterfeiters, through the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), which are still in force, but are very limited due to budget cuts and staff reductions.
If changes are not made by next year at the latest, the outlook in this matter is that Mexico will be placed in a position as bad as China, for not protecting intellectual property. The alerts are on.
Alliances to follow
Competition in the financial sector continues to grow hand in hand with technological innovations, which is undoubtedly good, but the most important thing is not to lose sight of the fact that this is allowing more people access to first-class financial services.
And in that environment, we must follow Broxel, who founded and directs Gustavo Gutierrez Galindoas it continues to make interesting alliances to democratize technology in payment methods, we have already seen it with football teams, the NFL and now it is adding a product with Providencia.
That's right, the textile group Providence, what commands Jose Antonio Torreyou will have a card with your brand associated with Broxel. The interesting thing about this plastic is that it will allow the enormous sales force of the catalog sales group to be financially included, which exceeds 70 thousand women.
The issue is not minor, since many sellers spend more than 40 thousand pesos a month on textile products, now with plastic, which will carry the two brands, they will be able to access a line of credit, have an additional discount on the purchase of capital of work, receive remittances (many of them thus complement the family income) in the same application, in addition to being able to receive payments in this digital ecosystem.
So soon, do not rule out that the term 'proviamigas', as the saleswomen of Providencia Groupbecomes fashionable in the country, although the central region is particularly relevant.
The program also makes sense with what Broxel announced last year: creating financial products with a gender perspective, which help women enhance their capabilities.
The negative effects begin
Although for a business sector, the publication of the decree that increased tariffs by 544 fractions was positive, some companies have already begun to raise warning signals.
It is the case of Vasconia Groupwho presides and directs José Ramón Elizondo Anayawho explained that the publication of the decree that modifies the rate of the General Import and Export Tax Law, increasing from 5 percent to 50 percent, referring to import tariffs on goods classified in 544 tariff fractions, they estimate that they could affect them.
And among them are those corresponding to primary and alloyed aluminum, a raw material that is not manufactured in Mexico and is essential for its subsidiary Almexa Aluminio, which they clearly anticipate will result in a “very significant increase in costs for Almexa.” Let us remember that Almexa has the majority of its sales for final destination in the United States.
There are also 10 fractions that affect raw materials and other products that its other subsidiary, Vasconia Brands, imports, and that also increase the costs of certain inputs or products used by the Mexican group, and that we all surely have some product in our kitchen.
Vasconia is currently evaluating the effects of the decree and looking for business continuity options and analyzing paths forward.
Mexico wins first T-MEC labor panel for San Martín mine
A good one, and that is that the Ministry of Economy, which commands Raquel Buenrostroannounced that Mexico won the first case submitted to the labor panel of the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC), since the trinational panel of the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (MLRR) resolved in favor of the Mexican position in the controversy labor that arose in the San Martín mine, located in Sombrerete, Zacatecas.
In the case of the San Martín mine, although the company Mexico Group of German Larrea has repeatedly denied workers rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining for 16 years, these irregularities were or are in the process of being corrected by the competent Mexican authorities, but it is an issue that was not discussed via the T-MEC.
For now, the coin is in the air.
