The file grows, patience is also measured
The USTR does not mince words: it identified another 13 barriers to trade in Mexico, which are added to the 54 it already had on its list. This is how the Secretary of Economy, Marcelo Ebrard, said it, almost like someone confessing a debt that does not stop growing.
“They published a report where there are 13 new ones that were not the 54,” said Ebrard, trying to sound optimistic: he assures that they have already resolved more than 50 of the original ones. “It looks like we’re finishing, we’ll be missing three of those,” he added.
But the devil is in the fine details of the National Trade Estimate Report 2026. There appears the first stone in the shoe: lack of public consultations before issuing regulations. The perfect example is the new customs rule published on December 27, 2025 and in force since January 1, 2026. Yes, you read that right: almost without notice.
What else did they find?
U.S. exporters — especially electronics exporters — are suffering under new rules that restrict the entry of certain products only to authorized ports. That means redoing all the logistics and transportation. A logistical and financial headache.
Additionally, there are delays of up to two years in obtaining health registrations and import permits. The regulatory environment for medical devices, pharmaceuticals and supplies shows only minimal improvements. Another gem: the public consultation period at the National Commission for Regulatory Improvement is only 10 business days. For complex topics, that’s almost a joke.
And let’s not forget the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission: the USTR already warns that it is not autonomous, as the extinct IFT was. They promise to keep it under the microscope.
The key event: May in CDMX
All of this occurs just before the formal bilateral meeting of the T-MEC, scheduled for May 25 in Mexico City. On the Mexican side will be Ebrard, Secretary Julio Berdegué (Agriculture), Roberto Lazzeri —next ambassador to the US—, Diana Alarcón (World Bank) and Altagracia Gómez Sierra from the Advisory Council.
The million-dollar question: are these new signs a warning or a demand? With the legal and commercial background that we have, it is better not to go for easy answers.
