Insights
Intelligence briefings, not blog posts.
Editorial reads on the topics that move the cost of operating in Mexico — tariffs, USMCA, infrastructure, labor, regulatory shifts. Sourced, dated, and updated when the underlying facts change. Time-sensitive content gets a "last updated" line; multi-year analysis carries a publication date.
Section 122 Tariff Framework: What Manufacturers Need to Know After SCOTUS
Two facts have to sit in the model at the same time. The Supreme Court invalidated the IEEPA tariff regime on February 20, 2026, which means Section 122 — a flat 10% with USMCA-compliant goods exempted — is now the operating framework. And Section 122 is statutorily time-boxed; it sunsets on or about July 24, 2026. What replaces it is the live question. Here is the operating read on the window.
USMCA 2026 Joint Review: Timeline, Stakes, and Scenario Planning
The first joint review of the USMCA is no longer a hypothetical July 2026 event. The review formally launched on March 5, 2026, the USITC has an active investigation into automotive rules of origin, and on April 7 the US Trade Representative publicly stated talks 'may run past July 1.' This is a live negotiation, not a future one. Atlantis is publishing this as a tracker we will update on a recurring cadence; what follows is the read as of April 24, 2026 — what is on the table, where the formal record stands, and what manufacturers should be doing while it runs.
Chihuahua Water & Energy: The Honest Infrastructure Assessment
Most advisors will not publish what follows. Forty-two of Chihuahua's aquifers are in deficit, the state has formally acknowledged it will not meet its 2026 water treaty obligations, and CFE is actively halting new industrial developments. For manufacturers choosing a Mexican site, these are not 5-year forecasts. They are March 2026 facts. Here is the operating read.