On October 13, 2008 a decree was published in the Official Journal of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación or DOF) containing Mexico’sagreement 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 Protocolof China to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The purpose of this is for Mexico to eliminate antidumping duties on products previously listed inpublications in the DOF originating from China, which means that Mexico will not be able to invoke its reservation of Annex 7 in the future. The decreecontains two Annexes: Annex 1. – Identification of products on which compensatory duties will be eliminated progressively through a transitionalmeans; and Annex 2. – Identification of products on which compensatory duties will be eliminated immediately. While the decree contemplates thepossibility of the progressive elimination established in Annex 1, such decree also states that no compensatory antidumping duties will be able to beimposed on products originating from China starting December 11, 2001. The forgoing results from China’s entry in the WTO and the end of the term ofthe original reservation made by Mexico, which means that Mexico’s market will eventually be totally open to products originating in China.
