Supply Chain Research

The next round of NAFTA talks from February 26 will likely continue to focus on automotive rules of origin. Mexico’s Economy Minister, Ildefonso Guajardo, has conceded a need to increase the threshold from 62.5% but has stated it “can’t be 85%”. That suggests negotiations have a long way to go. Auto assembly is vital for the Mexican economy, accounting for $43 billion of exports in 2017 with 69% going to the U.S. and 5% to Canada. Industry association AMIA assumes there will only be a 3% slide in exports to three million vehicles sent out globally in 2018 vs. 2017. Yet, exports remain ro...