The Mexican Senate Tax Commission filed a petition today with the Ministry of the Economy (Secretaria de la Economia - ME) requesting that the ME comply with new laws requiring the implementation of electronic security measures to reduce the importation of contraband and pirated goods to Mexico, according to a report in today’s El Financiero.   

The report said that the petition reminded the ME that Mexico’s Congress approved reforms to the Foreign Trade Law (Ley de Comercio Exterior) so that non-tariff restrictions and regulations could be implemented and enforced through electronic means and that Article 4 of the Law requires federal governmental entities to share electronic data regarding contraband and pirated goods with the ME and the Ministry of Tax and Public Credit (Secretaria de Hacienda and Credito Publico).  Two years have elapsed since the reforms to the Foreign Trade Law became effective, according to the report, and the ME has to date failed to implement the electronic communication tools required to comply with the Law, which are essential to national security, protection of the environment, and health.