South America: International Law

The Mexican Ministry of Economy has initiated an antidumping investigation into carbon steel sheet imports from Japan following a petition by Grupo Acerero, S.A. de C.V. The investigation covers hot-rolled, flat-rolled steel products and establishes specific deadlines for Japanese producers and exporters to respond, with the dumping period under review spanning all of 2025.

FinCEN has issued a new alert detailing how Mexican cartels are exploiting U.S. financial institutions to smuggle fuel across the southern border, evade Mexican import taxes, and launder billions in illicit proceeds. The alert outlines red flags for financial institutions and announces new OFAC sanctions targeting key operatives in the fiscal fuel theft scheme.

The United States has expanded its list of Mexican criminal organizations designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, adding the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras to six previously designated cartels. This development significantly impacts compliance and risk management for companies operating in Mexico with U.S. connections, as U.S. law prohibits providing material support to designated organizations and restricts transactions with blocked entities.

An ICSID tribunal examined whether a Spanish holding company's locally incorporated Panamanian subsidiary could invoke treaty protection over disputed surety bonds in public procurement. The case turned on the distinction between protecting an investment and conferring standing on a foreign-controlled local entity, while also addressing whether regulatory ambiguity and administrative delays breached fair and equitable treatment standards.

Mexico's trade defense capacity faces a critical juncture as the 2027 budget proposes a 39.3% reduction for the UPCI, the agency responsible for investigating unfair trade practices and imposing compensatory duties. With 97 active measures covering 63 products from 22 countries and shifting trade patterns from Asia to Latin America, this analysis examines whether institutional capacity can be maintained amid growing complexity in global supply chains and regional integration demands.

Federal agencies have dramatically escalated cabotage enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border through unprecedented data-sharing between FMCSA and CBP, converting what were once administrative infractions into immediate operational shutdowns for cross-border motor carriers. With visa revocations and entry denials now routine for drivers with documented violations, carriers and shippers face a fundamentally transformed compliance landscape that demands immediate operational adjustments.

Investment treaty arbitration requires careful analysis of temporal jurisdiction to determine whether challenged State conduct falls within a treaty's scope. This examination explores the legal framework governing...

Senator Carlos Portinho has introduced Amendment #8 to Bill No. 2,210/2022, proposing significant measures to protect Brazilian judicial sovereignty in patent disputes. The amendment introduces mechanisms to counter foreign anti-suit injunctions and interim licenses that interfere with Brazilian court proceedings, including business suspension powers and substantial financial penalties. How will this legislative initiative reshape Brazil's approach to international patent litigation and strengthen its innov

The Supreme Court's January 27, 2025 decision denying the Republic of Argentina's petition for a writ of certiorari in Argentina v. Attestor Master Value...