After years of discussion and consultation, usmca officially replaced NAFTA on July 1, 2020. The new FTA has brought a series of changes, which will have a profound impact on manufacturers in many industries. These include manufacturers that have already operated in Mexico and companies that are considering the establishment of factories in Mexico.
A series of changes brought by usmca, including the substantial adjustment of the whole supply chain, and the improvement of the requirements for the required documents and materials, etc. To some extent, these changes will affect every manufacturing enterprise related to it. If you don't understand the content of the agreement and violate the rules, you will be severely punished. Therefore, it is essential that every export manufacturer in the United States, Mexico or Canada review its current manufacturing process. To ensure that the enterprise does not pay high fines for process omissions, it is advisable to hire an expert to provide you with import and export management and customized consulting support services.
90 day grace period
The most significant change brought by usmca is the change of origin rules. According to NAFTA, 62.5% of the parts used by automobile manufacturers are from North America, while according to usmca, this proportion is increased to 75%. Of these, 40-45% of the parts must be made by manufacturers with a minimum wage of $16 per hour. The U.S. government released the latter's calculation in the Federal Register, which also said the government was still discussing details of the implementation of the new agreement.
The conditions of the rules of origin have become more stringent, and perhaps the biggest hit is the automaker. Although they have three to four years of adaptation and adjustment before they fully meet the requirements of the new rules, some of the new regulations which have come into force at the earliest date have been officially put into effect on July 1, 2020. However, as long as the manufacturer shows "the will to sincerely strive to comply with the new rules", it can enjoy a 90 day grace period.
Equally important is that the automotive industry is not the only industry affected. For textile industry and clothing manufacturers, new rules of origin have been issued. Industry insiders in the electronics manufacturing industry point out that the new provisions of the agreement will strengthen trade relations between the three countries. For the medical equipment industry, some unnecessary regulations will be removed in the future. In Mexico, the medical devices industry is booming, and the red tape faced by its manufacturers will gradually decrease. In fact, it has a profound impact on every Mexican manufacturer that exports products to the United States.
Fortunately, CBP issued "Interim Guidance" advice to help manufacturers familiarize manufacturers with the implementation of the new rules over the first six months. The Department said it would interpret how to comply with the usmca rules for businesses through webinars and other ways. This help policy will continue until 31 December 2020. The Department also noted that, during the transition period, a "restraint" approach would be adopted to promote the implementation of the new rules.
Measures to be taken immediately by enterprises to ensure the compliance of their business behaviors
Considering the very short-lived interval between the release date and the implementation date of the final version of usmca, it is necessary to re audit all processes of the enterprise to ensure its compliance.
The measures to be taken are recommended as follows:
Tick don't think your products have not been taxed in the past, nor will they be levied in the future. In fact, usmca covers a much larger range of products than NAFTA, so please review the agreement file carefully. Check out the steps and processes required to comply with the new rules. The CBP provides a series of product centric webinars that will ensure that you comply with the rules of the relevant industry. √ ensure that the raw materials of the products meet the requirements of the rules of origin. You can contact downstream suppliers to confirm that they are also ready to meet the requirements of usmca.
Establish a set of processes for providing certificate of origin. This certificate does not specify the format, but must include all data data mentioned in Appendix 5-a of usmca.
To keep the records and documents of raw materials and finished products and comply with the shipping terms, you need to establish a complete set of processes. The CBP said some of these materials needed to contain materials with data
List of materials, or certification or written certification provided by the manufacturer of self-made raw materials, indicating the country of manufacturer. These materials shall be kept for at least five years and shall be submitted immediately upon receiving the notice of spot check.
√ evaluate new requirements related to you through cooperation with legal team or related consulting team, and make a complete response plan for the implementation of new rules.
Avoid fines by working with professional compliance Consultants
The usmca will have a huge influence, and it will increase the total volume of trade between Mexico, the United States and Canada. However, it will take some time for all parties to adapt to the new requirements.
The strict punishment system of usmca will be implemented officially on October 1. Experts point out that the agreement's penalties are much stricter than NAFTA's and will affect many smaller suppliers. Penalties may include retrospective and additional duties. In order to reduce the probability of "winning the move" in the future, it is extremely worthwhile and necessary to start to make a complete response plan immediately.
Fortunately, you are not fighting alone. Many manufacturers operating under the umbrella of shell services provided by tetakawi can get a series of practical resources to see the sky flying over five words "that is no matter" when facing the compliance challenge of new rules. To be more confident about usmca, contact tetakawi now!
在长达数年的讨论和协商之后，USMCA（美墨加协定）于 2020年7月1日 正式取代了NAFTA（北美自贸协定）。这个新的自由贸易协定带来了一系列变化，将对许多产业的制造商产生深远影响。其中包括已经在墨西哥开展业务的制造商们，以及正在考虑到墨西哥建厂的企业。
USMCA带来的一系列变化，包括整个供应链的大幅调整，以及提高了对所需文件材料的要求等等。在某种程度上，这些变化会影响到每一家与之相关的制造型企业，如果你不了解协议的内容并违反了其中的规则将会遭到严重的处罚。因此，在美国、墨西哥或加拿大的每一家出口型制造商，都必须审视其目前的制造流程，这一点至关重要。要确保企业不会因为流程的疏漏而支付高昂的罚款，比较明智的一个方法就是雇佣一位专家，为您提供进出口管理并且提供定制的咨询支持服务。
90天的宽限期
USMCA所带来的最显著的变化，就是原产地规则的变化。按照NAFTA的规定，汽车制造商所用的零部件中，需有62.5%来自北美；而根据USMCA，这一比例则提高至75%。其中，40-45%的零部件必须由工人时薪最低16美元的厂商制造。美国政府在 《联邦公报》 上发布了后者的计算方法，这一举措也表示美国政府仍在讨论执行新协议的细节问题。
原产地规则的条件变得更加严苛，受到打击最大的也许就是汽车制造商。尽管它们在完全达到新规则的要求前，有三至四年的时间适应和调整，但是有些最早生效的新规定已于2020年7月1日正式启用。不过，只要制造商表现出“真诚努力地遵守新规的意愿”，则可以享受90天的宽限期。
同样重要的一点是，汽车产业并不是唯一受到影响的行业。针对纺织业和服装制造生产商，也出台了相应的新的原产地规则。电子制造行业的业内人士指出，此协议的新条款会加强三国之间的贸易往来。而对于医疗器械行业，未来有些不必要的规定将被去除。在墨西哥，医疗器械行业的发展空前繁荣，其制造商所面对的繁文缛节也将逐渐减少。实际上，这对每一家将产品出口到美国的墨西哥制造商都会产生深远影响。
幸运的是，美国海关和边境保护局（简称CBP）发布了“ 临时指导 ”意见，帮助制造商在最初的六个月里熟悉新规则的实施办法。该部门表示，将通过网络研讨会等方式来为企业解读如何遵守USMCA的规定。这一帮助政策将持续至2020年12月31日。该部门同样指出，在过渡期内，将会采取“克制性”的方式推动新规执行。
企业为保证其经营行为的合规性，需要立即采取的措施
考虑到USMCA最终版本的发布日期与实行日期之间的间隔非常短暂，重新审核企业的所有流程以确保其合规性是非常必要的。
建议目前需要采取的措施如下：
√ 不要认为您的产品在过去不征收关税，今后也不会征关税。事实上，USMCA所覆盖的产品范围比NAFTA大得多，所以请仔细审核协议文件。√ 要了解遵守新规则所需的步骤和流程。美国海关和边境保护局（CBP）提供了一系列以产品为中心的网络研讨会，将确保您遵守所属相关行业的规则。√ 保证产品的原材料满足原产地规则的要求。您可以联系下游供应商，确认他们同样做好了准备以满足USMCA的要求。
√ 为提供原产地证明建立一套流程。此证明没有规定格式，但必须包括USMCA的附则5-A中提到的所有数据资料。
√ 为保存原材料和成品的记录与文档，并遵守装运条款，您需要建立一套完整的流程。美国海关和边境保护局（CBP）表示，其中一些材料需要包含附有材料数据的物
料清单，或者由自产原料的生产商提供的认证书或书面证明材料，其中需标明制造商所在的国家。这些材料需最少保存五年，且在接到抽查通知时能够立即提交。
√ 通过与法务团队或相关咨询团队合作，对与您相关的新的要求进行评估，并为新规则的实施制定完整的应对计划。
通过与专业的合规性咨询顾问合作，避免遭受罚款
USMCA的影响力将是巨大的，它将增加墨西哥、美国和加拿大三国之间的贸易总量。但是，若要各方都适应新的要求，还需要一定的时间。
USMCA严苛的处罚制度将在10月1日起正式实行。专家指出，此协定的惩罚措施比NAFTA的严格许多，且会影响到许多规模较小的供应商。处罚可能包括追溯性关税和附加关税。为了减小将来可能不幸“中招”的概率，立即开始制定完整的应对计划是极为值得和必要的的。
幸运的是，您并不是在孤军奋战。在Tetakawi提供的Shelter服务的保护伞下运营的众多的制造商们，能够获得一系列配套的实用资源，让他们在面临新规则的合规性挑战时，会看到天空飘过五个字“那都不叫事（儿）”。为了能更有把握地应对USMCA， 立即联系Tetakawi吧！