Trade Intelligence Blog
Tariff policy analysis and trade intelligence, updated when policy changes — not on a publishing schedule.
Before You Finalize Your Mexico Site Search: Why Yucatan Belongs in the Evaluation
Monterrey, Tijuana, and Queretaro earned their reputations. But Mexico's nearshoring capacity is expanding beyond the traditional hubs. Yucatan is one of the most compelling additions to the evaluation list.
Read →How to Compare Total Landed Cost: Mexico vs China for US-Bound Manufacturing in 2026
The question is no longer whether Mexico is cheaper than China. The question is how much cheaper, on which product categories, and under which tariff scenarios.
Read →AD/CVD Orders: The Tariff Layer Most Importers Don't Know They're Paying
Section 301 gets the headlines. AD/CVD orders quietly add 50-300% on top of everything else. Most importers only find out at liquidation.
Read →The USMCA Review Hits July 1, 2026. Here is What Every Importer Needs to Know.
USTR Greer told Congress he was not prepared to recommend renewal without changes. Commerce Secretary Lutnick confirmed Trump expects to "renegotiate." This is not a formality.
Read →The Tariff Tool Most Manufacturers in Mexico Overlook: How PROSEC Cuts Input Costs to 0-5%
PROSEC covers 24 industrial sectors. It does not require goods to be exported. And most US companies operating in Mexico either do not know it exists or do not understand how it interacts with IMMEX.
Read →Before You Quote That Landed Cost: How the Hormuz Closure Changes Every Calculation
Every importer running a landed cost model built on January 2026 assumptions is now working with dead numbers. The duty stack did not change. Everything around it did.
Read →India as the Next Nearshoring Hub: 5 Trade Agreements Your Competitors Have Not Found Yet
Most supply chain conversations about China diversification jump to Vietnam or Mexico. India has been sitting quietly with five trade agreements most US importers have not mapped.
Read →China Plus One: What the Tariff Math Actually Looks Like in 2026
The tariff spread between China-origin and USMCA-qualified Mexico-origin goods is wider in 2026 than at any point since Section 301 launched. Here is the math.
Read →What Is GRI Classification and Why It Matters for a CBP Audit
CBP does not just check whether you got the right HTS code. They check whether you got there the right way. GRI-based reasoning is the difference between a defensible classification and an audit vulnerability.
Read →Vietnam Sourcing and the Transshipment Risk Nobody Talks About
In 2017, Vietnam exported $46 billion to the US. By 2024, $130 billion. CBP noticed. If you moved sourcing to Vietnam since 2018, your origin documentation is under more scrutiny than you may realize.
Read →The Wrong HS Code Costs More Than the Tariff Difference
Most importers focus on the tariff rate difference between two HS codes. The real cost of misclassification is what comes after CBP finds it first.
Read →Why USMCA Does Not Save You from Section 232 Steel Tariffs
USMCA does not exempt Canadian and Mexican steel from Section 232. You get a 50% reduction, not elimination. The full exemption only comes with melt-and-pour documentation. Here is the math.
Read →How to Calculate Your IEEPA Tariff Refund After the Supreme Court Ruling
If you imported goods from China, Russia, or other IEEPA-targeted countries between 2018 and February 20, 2026, you may be owed a refund. Here is the step-by-step calculation guide.
Read →Section 122 Expires July 24, 2026. Three Scenarios for What Happens Next.
Section 122's 150-day clock expires July 24. Most importers are treating it as a permanent fixture. It is not. Here are the three scenarios and how to model each one.
Read →How to Pull the Right ACE Report for Your IEEPA Refund Claim
Standard ACE canned reports don't give you what you need to file IEEPA refund claims. The Entry Summary Universe does. Here's the step-by-step.
Read →Before You File for an IEEPA Refund: Why Liquidation Status Changes Everything
Most importers calculating their IEEPA refund exposure are skipping the step that determines which filing path they can actually use. Liquidation status changes everything.
Read →Section 122 Just Replaced IEEPA. Here's What Every Importer Needs to Know.
Section 122 of the Trade Act took effect February 24, 2026. If you haven't updated your landed cost calculations, you're working with the wrong numbers.
Read →IEEPA Tariffs Are Dead. Here's How to Find Out What You Overpaid.
On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court struck down IEEPA tariffs. If you've been paying them, you may be owed a refund. The window won't stay open forever.
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