According to reports, Mexico has entered a round of high-incidence inspection period. Not only has it set up checkpoints on highways to check container trucks, but it has also launched anti-smuggling operations specifically targeting Chinese goods.
This series of actions has affected many freight forwarding companies, and goods have been stuck on the road or seized.
The news that multiple highway exit departments in Mexico jointly inspected container trucks has also been widely circulated in the industry, causing many Mexican sellers to feel nervous.
It is reported that Mexico's move is to appease US President Trump, so the tax bureau and customs took joint action. People familiar with the matter said that many cabinets have been seized, and even friends around them have been caught.
However, some Mexican freight forwarders also said that they have not encountered too many problems at present. Although there are indeed cases of checkpoints and container seizures, these cases seem to be limited to the vicinity of Mexico City, such as the Mexico City Airport and the train station.
This action by the Mexican Customs has aroused widespread attention and deep thinking.
Internally, the proportion of Mexico's manufacturing industry in GDP has declined in recent years. A large number of small and medium-sized factories are on the verge of bankruptcy under the impact of cheap Chinese goods. The government urgently needs to take action to protect local enterprises by strengthening customs inspections and adjusting tariffs.
Externally, as a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico's economic policies are easily affected by the US policy orientation. By supervising imported goods, it strives to win more orders and market opportunities for its local factories, while testing China's bottom line in the gap between China and the United States.
Fed Chairman Powell said at a press conference that recent signs indicate that consumer spending has slowed after rapid growth in the second half of 2024. Surveys of households and businesses show that uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased.
The new government is implementing major policy changes in four different areas in the future, namely trade, immigration, fiscal policy and regulation. The net effect of these policy changes will have a significant impact on the direction of the economy and monetary policy.
Powell said it would be very difficult to accurately assess how much inflation comes from tariffs and other factors. If commodity inflation data continues to be strong in the past two months, it will definitely be related to tariffs.
When asked about the risk of a recession in the United States, Powell said that some forecasters have slightly raised the probability of a recession, but the risk of a recession "remains at a relatively mild level."
The latest economic outlook released by the Federal Reserve on the same day showed that the median forecast of Federal Reserve officials for the growth rate of U.S. GDP this year was 1.7%, lower than the 2.1% forecast in December last year. The median forecast for inflation measured by the personal consumption expenditure price index is 2.7%, higher than the 2.5% forecast in December last year. The median forecast for core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, is 2.8%, also higher than the 2.5% forecast in December last year.
Recently, two US officials said that the White House has instructed the US military to develop a plan to station troops in Panama to achieve US President Trump's goal of "taking back" the Panama Canal. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the canal is an "important national asset of the United States", reflecting the strategic significance of the Panama Canal. As the "shipping throat" connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Panama Canal carries about 5% of global trade cargo.
In September 1977, the United States and Panama signed the Carter-Torrijos Treaty, deciding to transfer control of the Panama Canal to the Panamanian government on December 31, 1999. It is worth noting that because of the Panama Canal issue, the United States had previously sent troops to invade Panama in 1989. Some organizations estimate that the relevant conflict caused 3,500 deaths in Panama.
In this regard, on March 20, local time, Panamanian President Mulino said at a press conference: Such anonymous remarks are not worth discussing.
"Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent areas belongs to Panama and will continue to be so." Mulino firmly fought back against Trump's remarks about "taking back" the Panama Canal.
