Supply Chain Research

The round of NAFTA talks that ended on December 18 (intersessional talks, or round 5.5) made progress on technical factors but has yet to yield major shifts on the critical rules-of-origin issue. Indeed, in the automotive sector Mexico reportedly called for a relaxation of rules in relation to new factories vs. U.S. calls for a tightening. It is also clear that autos are not the only sector where ROOs are an issue. The apparel supply chain, and specifically imports of yarns and textiles are also under scrutiny. Mexican buyers imported $13.4 billion of yarns and fabrics in the past 12 mon...