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Foreign trade, explained.
Practical guides on forwarding, customs clearance, incentive programs and logistics operations — written by the team that runs them every day.
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Compliance August 22, 2026
Why your Mexican customs broker wants photos of your warehouse (rule 1.4.14)
Articles of incorporation, proof of address, photos of the façade, machinery, staff and vehicles. It isn't overreach: it's rule 1.4.14 of Mexico's 2026 General Foreign Trade Rules. What it requires, what it's for, how often it's refreshed, and what happens if you don't hand it over.
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Routes August 20, 2026
Designated customs ports: some goods can't enter Mexico wherever you like
Footwear, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, fuels and other sensitive goods can only clear through designated customs offices. How the scheme works, which families it covers, what happens if you pick the wrong port, and when in the operation it gets decided.
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Compliance August 18, 2026
Mexico's 2026 Customs Law reform: what changed for you, not for your broker
It was read as a customs broker reform. In practice the weight lands on the importer: documentary support proving real economic substance, real-time traceability, shorter bonded-warehouse deadlines and guarantees that don't get released. What to review in your operation.
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Category
Compliance
16 articles
Compliance August 22, 2026
Why your Mexican customs broker wants photos of your warehouse (rule 1.4.14)
Articles of incorporation, proof of address, photos of the façade, machinery, staff and vehicles. It isn't overreach: it's rule 1.4.14 of Mexico's 2026 General Foreign Trade Rules. What it requires, what it's for, how often it's refreshed, and what happens if you don't hand it over.
Read →
Compliance August 18, 2026
Mexico's 2026 Customs Law reform: what changed for you, not for your broker
It was read as a customs broker reform. In practice the weight lands on the importer: documentary support proving real economic substance, real-time traceability, shorter bonded-warehouse deadlines and guarantees that don't get released. What to review in your operation.
Read →
Compliance August 4, 2026
Amending a pedimento: how a wrong field gets corrected and when it no longer can be
A pedimento with an error isn't edited — it's replaced by an amendment. What can be corrected, what it costs to do it late, and why catching it yourself is always cheaper.
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Compliance July 27, 2026
How to read a Mexican pedimento: what each block means and what to verify
The pedimento is the tax declaration behind your import and the first document you will be asked for in an audit. What each block says, what to check before filing it away and how to correct it.
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Compliance July 24, 2026
PAMA and precautionary seizure: what happens when Mexican customs holds your cargo
When the authority finds an irregularity it can seize goods precautionarily and open a PAMA. What the procedure is, what deadlines run, what it costs in parallel and how to prevent it.
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Compliance July 20, 2026
Customs broker authorization in Mexico: what you sign when you hand over your operation
The encargo conferido is the electronic authorization an importer grants a customs broker to clear goods on its behalf. What it means, what liability you keep and how to revoke it.
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Compliance July 14, 2026
Mexico import permits and automatic notices: when you need them and how to keep cargo moving
Prior permits, automatic notices and automatic permits are different requirements. Learn how to identify the one tied to your tariff code before customs clearance.
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Compliance July 14, 2026
Mexico importer registry suspension: causes, reactivation and how to prevent it
A suspension from Mexico's Importer Registry can stop customs clearance and add storage costs. Learn common causes, how to reactivate it and how to prevent another interruption.
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Compliance June 15, 2026
Sector-specific importer registry: why your general registry isn't enough
Being on Mexico's Importer Registry isn't enough if your goods are in Annex 10: steel, textiles, footwear and chemicals require a separate sector registry. What it is, which sectors it covers, and why a suspension freezes your container.
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Compliance June 8, 2026
Tariffs on China and non-FTA countries: what changed in 2026 and how it hits you
Since January 1, 2026 Mexico applies tariffs of up to 50% on 1,463 tariff lines of goods from countries without a free trade agreement. What changed, which sectors it hits, and how origin and USMCA can shield your cost.
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Compliance June 5, 2026
Countervailing and antidumping duties: the hidden cost that can double your import (especially from China)
A countervailing duty is an extra charge against unfair trade practices that can multiply the cost of importing. What they are, how to know if your tariff code has one in force, why they hit China sourcing so hard, and how they affect cost.
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Compliance June 5, 2026
Undervaluation: why declaring a low customs value backfires badly (and how the SAT catches it)
Declaring a lower customs value than the real one is one of the SAT's priority enforcement targets. How it's detected, what precautionary seizure and PAMA are, what estimated prices mean, and how to make your declared value hold up.
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Compliance May 27, 2026
Electronic customs value declaration: postponed to October 1, 2026 — what to do now
Mexico's MVE was postponed again: it becomes mandatory via VUCEM on October 1, 2026 (fourth extension, published July 31). What it is, who's responsible, how customs value is determined, and what to do with the extra time.
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Compliance May 26, 2026
The tariff code: the number that sets how much you pay, what permits you need, and whether you get in
How goods are classified under Mexico's TIGIE, what the tariff line and NICO define, and why a wrong classification is the #1 cause of fines and held cargo.
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Compliance May 19, 2026
Mexican labeling NOMs for importers: 051, 003, 004 and the ones people forget
Mexico's Official Standards (NOMs) for labeling are the #1 cause of goods getting held at customs. Here's which NOM applies to your product, how customs verifies compliance, and what happens if you arrive mislabeled.
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Compliance April 30, 2026
Importing into Mexico without an importer registry: how an importer-of-record works
If your company wants to import but is not registered in Mexico's importer registry, an importer-of-record (IOR) solves the problem. Here's how it works and when it makes sense.
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Category
Routes
04 articles
Routes August 20, 2026
Designated customs ports: some goods can't enter Mexico wherever you like
Footwear, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, fuels and other sensitive goods can only clear through designated customs offices. How the scheme works, which families it covers, what happens if you pick the wrong port, and when in the operation it gets decided.
Read →
Routes August 8, 2026
Hand carrier, courier and formal freight: which one fits and where each breaks
Three ways to move urgent goods into Mexico, with very different costs and limits. When a courier fits, when you need formal freight, and when a hand carrier is cheaper than waiting.
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Routes May 17, 2026
Importing from the US by land: Laredo, Nogales or Tijuana — which crossing fits
Three border crossings handle 80% of US–Mexico land freight. We compare transit times, costs, congestion, and inland routes to decide where your goods should cross.
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Routes April 27, 2026
Asia–Mexico transit times 2026: ocean and air routes
How long a shipment takes today from China, Korea or Japan to the main Mexican ports. Tables by mode, recommendations and factors that change the timeline.
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Category
Programs
09 articles
Programs August 14, 2026
VAT and IEPS certification: the credit that decides an IMMEX operation's cash flow
Holding an IMMEX program doesn't exempt you from VAT on temporary imports. The three ways out — pay and recover, guarantee, or certify — what SAT really looks at, how the Annex 31 credit account works, and when certification isn't worth it.
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Programs July 31, 2026
Annex 24: the inventory control that holds up your IMMEX program
IMMEX lets you import temporarily without paying duties. The trade-off is proving, line by line, that everything that came in went out. What Annex 24 is, what it must contain and what breaks first.
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Programs July 6, 2026
Customs regimes in Mexico: the 6 and which one fits your operation
The customs regime you choose defines how much you pay, how long the goods can stay and what obligations you take on. We explain the six regimes in Mexico's Customs Law — definitive, temporary, fiscal deposit, transit, bonded facility and RFE — and when each applies.
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Programs June 15, 2026
AEO in Mexico: what the Authorized Economic Operator is and when it pays off
Mexico's OEA (AEO) certification cuts physical inspections, grants express lanes and international recognition (C-TPAT, EU AEO). What it is, the SAT's requirements, the real benefits, and when it's worth it for an importing SME.
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Programs June 8, 2026
Rule Eight (Regla Octava): how to import inputs at 0% to manufacture in Mexico
Rule Eight is a prior import permit from Mexico's Ministry of Economy that lets you import inputs, parts and machinery under heading 98.02 at a preferential rate. What it is, who can use it, requirements, and why it matters more than ever now.
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Programs June 5, 2026
USMCA certificate of origin: how to pay 0% duty (and the mistakes that void it)
The certificate of origin is what lets you import under USMCA (T-MEC) preferential tariff treatment. What it is, how certification works, what rules of origin are, and why a 'Made in USA' product isn't enough to qualify.
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Programs May 25, 2026
Bonded warehouse, fiscal deposit and Strategic Bonded Facility: which one fits and why
The three regimes that let you defer duties and VAT while your goods wait. Real differences, when to use each, and what it does for your cash flow.
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Programs April 29, 2026
What is IMMEX and when does it make sense for your company?
The IMMEX program lets you import inputs without paying VAT as long as you re-export within a deadline. Who qualifies, how much it saves, and what implementation looks like.
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Programs April 26, 2026
PROSEC: how to know if your industry qualifies
PROSEC lets you import inputs from specific sectors at reduced or zero tariff, with no requirement to export. Who qualifies and what the process looks like.
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Category
Operations
13 articles
Operations August 12, 2026
The import file: what each document does and which one stops the shipment
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, certificate of origin, permits, customs authorization and the pedimento. Who issues each document, what it proves, and exactly what happens when it's missing or doesn't match.
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Operations August 10, 2026
Landed cost: why importing always costs more than the quote
The supplier price is one line out of twelve. What makes up landed cost, which items are real cost and which are only cash flow, and how to allocate them so you know what each unit actually costs on your floor.
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Operations August 6, 2026
Samples and goods of "no commercial value": why that phrase exempts you from nothing
Declaring a sample as "no commercial value" doesn't make it free or keep it off the entry. What a sample is to Mexican customs, how it gets a value, and where sample shipments get stuck.
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Operations July 29, 2026
Exporting from Mexico: steps, documents and what changes versus importing
Exporting faces less friction at Mexican customs than importing, and more at the destination. What you need, which documents are issued, how the 0% VAT rate works and where first shipments get stuck.
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Operations July 14, 2026
International cargo insurance: what it covers, what it excludes and the cost of going without it
Cargo insurance is not the same as carrier liability. Learn about coverage, exclusions, insured value and what to do if goods are damaged in transit.
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Operations July 6, 2026
Customs inspection in Mexico: the traffic-light system and why your cargo goes red
When you file the customs entry, an automated mechanism decides whether your goods clear freely (green) or go to inspection (red). What customs checks in a red-lane inspection, what happens if there's a discrepancy, and how to lower your odds of going red.
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Operations July 6, 2026
Import taxes in Mexico: IGI, DTA, VAT and prevalidation (what you actually pay)
Importing isn't just paying the tariff. The customs entry also adds the IGI, the DTA, VAT, prevalidation and sometimes IEPS or antidumping duties. We break down each item and how the real cost of your operation is calculated.
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Operations June 15, 2026
VUCEM: the single window and why your operation is already 100% digital
Mexico's VUCEM single window centralizes permits, certificates and invoices (COVE) on one platform linked to your customs entry. What it is, how the e-document and e-signature work, and why a badly digitized document stops your clearance.
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Operations June 8, 2026
Carta Porte 3.1: what it is, who issues it, and the penalties for getting it wrong
Mexico's Carta Porte 3.1 complement is the only valid version and mandatory since July 2024. What it covers, who must issue it, how it cross-checks against your import entry, and the SAT penalties for errors.
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Operations May 27, 2026
Demurrage, detention and storage: the hidden costs that eat your import margin
What each charge is, when the clock starts, how many free days you get, and the five real reasons a container racks up thousands of dollars in extra charges.
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Operations May 18, 2026
Mexican customs clearance step by step: from Bill of Lading to released entry
Exactly what happens between your goods arriving at port and leaving customs. Documents, typical timelines, the random selection mechanism, and where operations actually get stuck.
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Operations May 1, 2026
Incoterms 2020 explained without jargon: who pays, who's accountable
DDP, FOB, EXW, CIF — the 11 Incoterms 2020 translated to plain English. Who carries the cost, who takes the risk, and where each party's responsibility ends.
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Operations April 28, 2026
FCL vs LCL ocean freight: when to use each
FCL means full container, LCL means consolidated cargo. Here's how each is priced, the typical breakeven points, and when LCL ends up costing more.
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