GENERAL SITUATION IN MEXICO
Weekly Review # 82 I November 24, 2021
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MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY MEXICO TO REINSTATE 15% STEEL IMPORT TARIFFS IN JUNE 2022 Mexico announced the reinstatement of 15% tariffs on imports of different types of steel as of June 2022, which will gradually disappear by the end of 2024, as a measure to support the local industry hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mexico had imposed tariffs following the decision in March 2018 by then US President Donald Trump to set tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum for national security reasons under the so-called “Section 232”.
The Government announced the measure for more than 100 tariff fractions that encompass rolled steel, rod, and tubes, among others, in a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Monday night.
The measure, which affected both Canada and Mexico and threatened negotiations on the modernization of the North American free trade agreement, now USMCA, was suspended after the United States lifted the levies on its trading partners.
The document states that in an international economic context of recovery from the ravages of the pandemic, the local steel industry “requires a period of adjustment that allows it to resort to the necessary legal instruments against unfair trade practices.” This, in order to establish conditions for the reactivation of the sector, the decree added.
The Ministry of Economy said that the new levies would not affect the United States and Canada, which are part of the USMCA along with Mexico, in response to a Reuters query.
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GOOD NEWS MEXICO EYES COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTER SHOTS, ESPECIALLY FOR OLDER ADULTS
MEXICO CITY, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Mexico will analyze administering booster vaccine doses against COVID-19, especially for older people, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday, softening his previous stance on the need for a third shot. Less than two months ago, Lopez Obrador had rejected suggestions that Mexico should administer a third vaccine shot, saying experts deemed it to be unnecessary. But his government has gradually opened the door to giving more people shots, including teenagers. “The booster vaccine will be analyzed in some cases, especially for older adults, but that still has to be decided by the doctors, the specialists,” he told a news conference. Several countries, including the United States, are already administering booster shots, given data showing that protection from the original inoculations wanes over time, and with rising breakthrough infections among the fully vaccinated driven by the easily transmitted Delta variant of the virus. Nearly 76 million of Mexico’s 126 million inhabitants have had at least one vaccine dose, according to government data. The Pan American Health Organization earlier this month recommended booster shots for people who received vaccines by China’s Sinovac Biotech (SVA.O) and Sinopharm (1099.HK), which have been used in Mexico. Mexico has recorded 3,864,278 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 292,524 related deaths, according to government data.
SOURCE: Reuters
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KEY POINTS OF PRESIDENT ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR’S Morning Press Conference November 17-23, 2021
VISIT TO WASHINGTON The need to strengthen regional integration was discussed. The President proposed that a productive investment program should be promoted in North America for import substitution, which should modify migration policies. He assured that he reminded President Biden of his commitment to regularize 11 million migrants and highlighted that there are 38 million Mexicans, 5 million Puerto Ricans, and 4 million Cubans in the United States, so Hispanic Americans’ treatment should be treated respectfully in their communities. During the meeting with Kamala Harris, the possibility of carrying out a technological cooperation program to guarantee the internet throughout the national territory was discussed.
SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxEgOKuI-n-WOJaNcisHvSg
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MEASURES TAKEN BY STATES IN MEXICO
BAJA CALIFORNIA The State of Baja California remains considered as high-risk or orange light. Official reports confirmed 2,403 active cases in the past 14 days, with hospital occupancy at 51.93%. The vaccination plan for adolescents aged 15 to 17 years started this week with the application of the first dose of Pfizer in Mexicali, Tijuana, Ensenada, and San Quintin. The vaccination plan continues this week with the application of the first dose of Astra Zeneca to the adult population and the application of the influenza vaccine for all ages.
SONORA The State of Sonora is considered a low-risk or green light. 78 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours. The vaccination plan to the adult population continues this week with the application of the complete scheme of Astra Zeneca and the second dose of Pfizer in Hermosillo. The vaccination plan for adolescents aged 12 to 17 years with risk factors has continued since November 10 in different municipalities. The government reminds the population about the protocols to continue taking care of themselves, such as healthy distance, disinfecting surfaces, eating healthy, and the correct use of the mask.
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MEASURES TAKEN BY STATES IN MEXICO
COAHUILA Coahuila promotes the social reactivation of the elderly with adherence to health protocols. The Government recalled that one of the population groups that most suffered the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was the elderly since the confinement prevented them from socializing, thus affecting their emotional health. TAMAULIPAS The application of the second anticovid dose to minors began in Tamaulipas this week. The delegation of federal programs in Tamaulipas indicated three days for the application of the second dose of vaccine against COVID-19 to children between 12 and 17 years old. NUEVO LEON In Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, the vaccination of children between the ages of 5 and 11 is already a reality. A dozen buses will travel to the northern border to immunize Mexican children in Texas starting this week. The cross-border strategy is finalized less than 15 days after the US approves the application of the Pfizer vaccine for this age group.
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MEASURES TAKEN BY STATES IN MEXICO
QUERETARO According to the daily COVID-19 technical report of the Federal Government’s Health Secretariat, as of Sunday (November 21), the state of Queretaro is the ninth state with the highest number of COVID-19 cases nationwide, with a total of 569 infections. In eighth place in this ranking is Aguascalientes, with 360 active cases, and above, in tenth place, is San Luis Potosi with 609 active cases. At the national level, in the period from November 8 to 21, 18,661 active cases were registered, with an incidence rate of 14.5 per 100,000 inhabitants.
JALISCO On November 23, the vaccination day began for the group of 15 to 17 years in general. Vaccination will be carried out in 39 hospitals in the interior of the state and the AMG. This night, 200,070 doses of vaccines against COVID-19 were received in Jalisco from the Pfizer-BioNTech laboratories, a shipment that corresponds to the 46th delivery of this biological to our state and that will be destined for the adolescent population according to federal guidelines: people from 12 to 14 years old with some condition of vulnerability and people from 15 to 17 years old in general. The Minister of Health in Jalisco, Fernando Petersen Aranguren, supervised the delivery of this shipment and announced that vaccination schedules will also be completed, applying the second dose to those who correspond.
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MEASURES TAKEN BY STATES IN MEXICO
AGUASCALIENTES In Aguascalientes, the vaccination days for adult inhabitants have been completed. However, there are still some people to be immunized. These are located mainly in rural areas, which due to the distance from the vaccination centers, have not been able to get close to receiving the biological. Therefore, from November 22 to December 13, 2021, the Roadrunner Brigades will be installed in undeveloped towns. The vaccine developed by CanSino will be applied, which is a single dose. This call is aimed at people over 18 years of age who have not yet been inoculated with their first application. GUANAJUATO In Guanajuato, there are 195 thousand 243 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 551 are under investigation, while there are already 262 thousand 483 cases discarded. In Guanajuato, 82% of the 246 patients hospitalized for Covid were not vaccinated against the coronavirus. Only 45 have a history of vaccination, only 18%.
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MEASURES TAKEN BY STATES IN MEXICO
STATE OF MEXICO The Secretary of Health of the State of Mexico informed that during the last 24 hours, 10 new cases of COVID-19 were added, reaching 177,214 positive patients since the beginning of the pandemic in the state; to date, there are also 103,742 health discharges of Mexicans who overcame this disease. The agency detailed that 415 patients are treated in hospitals in the state and another 955 in various health institutions in the rest of the country.
CDMX The Secretary of Health, Jorge Alcocer, acknowledged that in Mexico there are already signs of the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, even though in most of the country there is already a green epidemiological traffic light, which implies low risk. On this same subject, the head of government of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, reported in recent days that if a fourth wave were to occur, it would be smaller, “because we already have the entire population vaccinated and now with the vaccination for young people aged 15 to 17 years, there will be greater coverage.” She considered that if a fourth wave starts, the government will initiate a campaign so that people return to use the mask, which not everyone is using, and measures of healthy distance, but they do not plan in any way to close activities as it was done in previous waves, she said.
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ECONOMIC GROWTH IN MEXICO FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT RECOVERY ‘ACCELERATES’ TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows accelerated their restoration towards the end of the year, although there are signs of deterioration in several industrial sectors. According to preliminary data published by the Ministry of Economy, Mexico captured 24 billion 831 million dollars (mdd) of FDI during the JanuarySeptember 2021 period. The amount represents an annual increase of 5.7% compared to preliminary figures. Despite its increase, it is still lower than the figure recorded for the first three quarters of 2019 (26.1 billion dollars). Industrial activities, where most foreign investment in Mexico is concentrated, saw a 25.9 percent recovery in their flows, driven by strong advances in manufacturing (18.5 percent) and mining (167.8 percent). In contrast, the construction and electricity, and water sectors suffered sharp declines of 63.7 percent and 37.8 percent, respectively. Agricultural FDI amounted to $274.3 million dollars, increasing 77.1 percent at an annual rate. The tertiary sector attracted 9 thousand 113 million dollars, falling 17.6 percent compared to January-September 2020. Of the 12 subsectors that comprise it, half saw weakened investment flows. The subsectors that captured the largest amount of FDI in the first three quarters were manufacturing (45 percent), mining (14 percent), financial services (10.9 percent), transportation (10 percent), commerce (6 percent), and accommodation services (4.6 percent).
SOURCE: El Financiero
The flow of new investments grew 90 percent annually, reaching $9,544 billion dollars. Reinvestments, in contrast, fell 20.7 percent (to $9.999 billion dollars), while intercompany accounts fell 9.5 percent (to $5.287 billion dollars). The United States remained the largest source of FDI for Mexico, with 49.6 percent of total participation. It was followed by Spain (10.7%), Japan (6.3%), Germany (5.3%), and Canada (5.2%). The states with the highest share were Mexico City (16.6 percent), Nuevo Leon (9.3 percent), Baja California (7.8 percent), Guanajuato (6.6 percent), and Jalisco (4.8 percent). These five states accounted for almost half of total FDI.
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TOWARDS THE “NEW NORMAL”
DISTRIBUTION OF DEATHS PER STATE DUE TO THE PANDEMIC
INFORMATION UPDATED ON NOVEMBER 22, 2021 AT 19:00 HRS LOCAL TIME.
NEW CASES REPORTED: 916
SOURCE: https://www.gob.mx/salud/
CONFIRMED CASES: 3,864,278
NEW DEATHS REPORTED: 53
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 292,524
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INCREASE OF CONFIRMED CASES SINCE THE FIRST REPORT MAP WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE INCIDENCE RATE OF ACCUMULATED CASES OF COVID-19 BY ENTITY OF RESIDENCE.
National rate 13.75
0 to 10.0 (18 states)
40.1 to 50 (2 states)
10.1 to 20 (5 states)
50.1 to 60 (0 states)
20.1 to 30 (4 states)
60.1 to 70 (1 states)
30.1 to 40 (2 states)
>70 (0 states)
Elaborated by Prodensa with information from the Health Ministry of Mexico
PANDEMIC’S SITUATION IN THE WORLD • As of November 22nd, 2021, globally there have been reported 256,966,237 confirmed cases (486,215 new cases) of COVID-19 and 5,151,643 deaths (6,641 new deaths*). Lethal rate: 3%. In the last 24 hours, 7, 113,040 cases were reported globally.
SOURCE: https://www.gob.mx/salud/
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TOWARDS THE “NEW NORMAL” INCIDENTS OF CONTAGIONS IN THE POPULATION BY REGION AS OF NOVEMBER 22
DEATH INCIDENTS IN POPULATION BY REGION AS OF NOVEMBER 22
SOURCE: https://www.gob.mx/salud/
EHS
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THE POSSIBILITY OF COVID-19 AFTER VACCINATION: BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing infection, serious illness, and death. Most people who get COVID-19 are unvaccinated. However, since vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infection, some fully vaccinated people will still get COVID-19. An infection of a fully vaccinated person is referred to as a “vaccine breakthrough infection.”
DAVID ANTUNEZ
Key Points • COVID-19 vaccines protect everyone ages 5 years and older from getting infected and severely ill and significantly reduce the likelihood of hospitalization and death. • Getting vaccinated is the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent infection by Delta or other variants. • A vaccine breakthrough infection happens when a fully vaccinated person gets infected with COVID-19. People with vaccine breakthrough infections may spread COVID-19 to others. • Even if you are fully vaccinated, if you live in an area with substantial or high transmission of COVID-19, you – as well as your family and community – will be better protected if you wear a mask when you are in indoor public places. • People who are immunocompromised may not always build adequate levels of protection after an initial 2-dose primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series. They should continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people until advised otherwise by their healthcare professional. Further, CDC recommends that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional primary dose of vaccine.
Environmental, Health, and Safety Director.
SOURCE: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases
LABOR
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VIOLENCE-FREE WORKPLACES November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Several public events are being coordinated this week in Mexico and around the world to recall the need for a violence-free future. For the employers, there are various activities to take action and participate in order to create violence-free workplaces. All companies must implement in Mexico, in collaboration with the workers, new protocols to prevent violence and harassment. Labor law and USMCA set provisions that require action. The labor authority has created a protocol that can be used as a draft guideline for each company to create its specific protocol. Contact us to receive support in creating a new protocol.
ALVARO GARCIA HR, Vice President
BASIC PROTECTIVE MEASURES AGAINST COVID-19
1 2 3 4 5 Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds.
When coughing or sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or use the inside corner of your arm.
Avoid shaking hands and kissing.
Keep your workspace clean and don't share personal items and utensils.
If you show symptoms of a cold or flu, go to a doctor. Do not self-medicate and inform your supervisor and Human Resources department.
www.prodensa.com contact@prodensa.com