On 16 March 2023, the General Confederation of Labor representing the workers, and the Argentine Industrial Union representing the employers, in the presence of the Federal Ministers of Labor and of Women, Gender and Diversity, signed an agreement to extend certain obligations and modify certain aspects of Decree 144/22.
The Argentine Central Bank issued Communication ‘A’ 7724, which updated the technology and information security risk standards to strengthen the cyber resilience of financial institutions. The Communication will become effective on 6 September 2023.
On 17 February 2023, and pursuant to its obligations under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Mexico’s Ministry of Economy published in the Federal Official Gazette the much-anticipated Administrative regulation that sets forth the goods which importation is subject to regulation by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (Forced Labor Regulation), which prohibits the importation of goods produced with forced labor. Once Mexico’s Forced Labor Regulation becomes effective on 18 May 2023, all three members of the USMCA trade block, Mexico, Canada, and the United States, will have prohibitions and restrictions on the importation of goods made with forced labor.
The Ministry of Economy, Finance and Foreign Trade issued Resolution No. 001-20231 whereby it adds 64 tariff codes to Appendix I of the Decree No. 4,757 of 29 December 2022, establishing exemptions from the payment of value-added tax and import charges on imports of several goods.
The Mexico Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare has announced that it will carry out an estimated 42,000 inspections in 2023. The inspections carry the possibility of significant fines and penalties issued on per employee/ per violation. It is imperative for employers to train personnel and response teams on best practices for managing potential inspections and mitigating risk, including maintaining all necessary information and documents that must be supplied during an inspection.
In this Quick Chat video our Labor & Employment lawyers along with the Managing Partner for Baker McKenzie’s Mexico offices discuss the inspection program and provide tips to help employers prepare.
Welcome to this Podcast called Legal myths and realities about family businesses. This space was created with the purpose of conducting a series of interviews dedicated to the main problems of Venezuelan Family Businesses, debunking myths and discussing their main legal problems in a globalized and increasingly sophisticated world. These conversations will be led by Jesús A. Villegas-Ruiz, Senior Associate of the Corporate and Compliance practice of Baker McKenzie Caracas. In the first chapter of this series of interviews, Jesús talks to Raúl Angulo, General Manager of TEALCA, C.A., about the problems of good corporate governance in decision-making in family businesses.
The Investigating Authority of the Federal Economic Competition Commission published on 2 March 2023, the notice of initiation of an investigation for alleged horizontal monopolistic practices, also known as cartel practices, consisting in agreements between competitors to coordinate their bids in tenders by the Mexican Public Health sector to acquire radiological equipment and related products. Cartel Practices in the public health sector have been consistently considered by COFECE as a serious offense, as such acts have a direct impact on the number and quality of medical supplies purchased with public resources by government institutions for the care of the population.
On 8 March 2023, the Government Body of the National Hydrocarbons Commission published in the Federal Official Gazette Resolution CNH.E.89.010/2022 containing Guidelines for Assignments, Corporate Changes and Liens applicable to Contracts for the Exploration and Extraction of Hydrocarbons.
The Brazilian Secretariat of Foreign Trade issued on 8 March 2023 a new ordinance that renders the assessment of public interest (API) an optional proceeding in original dumping and subsidy investigations. Under the previous regulation, the API was mandatory in such original investigations and thus initiated ex officio by the Brazilian Department of Trade Defense, together with the opening of every new investigation.
On 3 March 2023, Brazil issued two new decrees regarding the organizational structure and attributes of the Foreign Trade Chamber and the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. These are the two main bodies responsible for, among other things, defining Brazil’s foreign trade policies, including the application of trade defense measures.