TCNA – Mexico was created five years ago to serve Tile Council of North America’s Mexican members, as well as U.S. and Canadian members doing business in Mexico. The following are some of the recent developments with which TCNA – Mexico has been involved to benefit the North American tile industry:

Standards development work

TCNA – Mexico holds Mexico’s vote in ISO TC 189, the International Organization for Standardization technical committee for ceramic tile and installation materials standards. This year, TCNA – Mexico will host the annual ISO TC 189 meeting in Mexico City Aug. 30 – Sept. 2. This is the first time this meeting will be held in Mexico.

Government Relations

TCNA – Mexico continues its work to eliminate illegal tile imports. Later this year, TCNA – Mexico will place personnel at the three main Mexican border crossings where tile is imported to help custom agents recognize misclassified tile, including tile falsely labeled as porcelain.

Recently, TCNA – Mexico successfully negotiated a gradual duty reduction from 20% to 15% instead of an immediate reduction to 0% as initially proposed by the government.

Installer Training & Certification

TCNA – Mexico operates two installer training centers: one in Monterrey and the other in Mexico City. Construction of an additional training center in Mexico City will likely take place in mid-2010. Additionally, an installer certification program will be launched later this year. This program is designed to help tile consumers identify skilled and knowledgeable installers, while providing a means for installers to verify their skills and promote themselves to potential clients and employers.