NOVEMBER 2008 EDITION ARCHIVE
Legal Updates
Cacheaux, Cavazos & Newton, L.L.P. Announces New Website
Cacheaux, Cavazos & Newton, L.L.P. (CCN) announces its new firm website, which may be viewed at www.ccn-law.com. A prominent headline on the new site reads “Building Legal Bridges”, which is exactly what the new site attempts to do as the firm reaches out to its clients in the U.S., Mexico and abroad with a 100% bilingual website. Readers in English and Spanish alike may access information on CCN, its attorneys, offices, recent projects and the firm’s monthly review of Mexican... [Read More]300 PALABRAS, Barack Obama and the Mexico – United States Bilateral Relationship
Opinion by Dr. Mario Melgar-Adalid Barack Obama's electoral victory has unquestionably altered the image projected abroad by the U.S. over the past eight years. The change of administrations will occur during tough times in the U.S., but also during tough times for Mexico, which will have to find its place among the many priorities on the U.S. political agenda. For Mexico, Obama's triumph offers the opportunity to re-launch a new era in relations with the United States. If it is true that... [Read More]Mexico’s Congress Approves Energy Reform
On October 28, 2008 Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies approved amendments to various Mexican laws collectively referred to as the “Energy Reform”. The Energy Reform presented by President Felipe Calderon’s administration, which has generated much anticipation on the part of Mexicans and foreigners alike, does not rise to the level requiring constitutional amendments or imply a fundamental change of the Mexican Government’s monopoly on petroleum and hydrocarbons. Even if the... [Read More]Mexico and China Agree to Resolve Pending Trade Disputes
On October 13, 2008 a decree was published in the Official Journal of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación or DOF) containing Mexico’s agreement with the Government of the People’s Republic of China in regard to compensatory duties previously imposed by Mexico on Chinese goods. Based on the published decree, Mexico will be required to implement measures to cancel the reservations contained in Annex 7 of the Accession Protocol of China to the World Trade Organization... [Read More]Environmental Law Notes – Mexico Passes New Energy Efficiency Law
In October, the Mexican federal House and Senate approved a decree enacting the new Energy Efficiency Law (Ley Para el Aprovechamiento de la Energía). The new law will be sent to Mexico’s president for execution and publication in the Official Journal of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación). The new statute creates the National Commission for Efficient Use of Energy, as a decentralized agency of the Department of Energy. This Commission will issue standards for quantifying... [Read More]Business & Politics Outlook
Mexico’s Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mouriño
The recent death of Mexico’s Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mouriño in a plane crash has led to rumors and inferences that have captured the Mexican public’s attention. According to official reports, the tragedy was a total accident. Notwithstanding this conclusion, many of those polled (56%) stated that, in their opinion, the plane crash was not an accident. A majority of Mexicans polled believe the crash was an act by Mexican organized crime against the Department of the Interior... [Read More]Mexican Industrial Manufacturers Increase Their Competitiveness as Compared to China
With the increase in costs of transporting raw materials and finished goods, and a continuing increase in salaries and labor regulations, have both contributed to erode China’s competitive edge in the manufacturing industry in comparison to Mexico. The cost of transporting a 20 ton container of merchandise from China to the United States has almost tripled in the last eight years, while the cost of transporting such load from Mexico to the U.S. was just over two times the original cost over... [Read More]Economic Indicators
Pesos/Dollar Exchange Rate
The quoted exchange rate as of November 13, 2008 was $13.0875 pesos per dollar.Mexican Stock Exchange
The Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) closed on November 13, 2008 at 19,298.44 points.Interest Rates
On November 13, 2008, the Average Interbank Interest Rate (TIEE) for a 28-day period was at 8.7475 %.Mexico IP Info
Cancellation of Trademark
In previous publications, we have informed our readers that a registered trademark in Mexico may lose its validity based on nullity or expiration procedures, and other causes listed in the law. In addition to losing a trademark registration based on nullity and expiration, a trademark owner may lose rights if the mark is “cancelled” in accordance with Mexican intellectual property law. Article 153 of the Intellectual Property Law (Ley de la Propiedad Industrial) provides that “A... [Read More]