🇲🇽How to import into Mexico

These sectors carry their own import requirement in Mexico. For each, a legitimate importer holds the document named below, issued by the named regulator. Ask for it, then verify it at the source.

• medical devicesImport permit required

  prior import authorization from the Comision Federal para la Proteccion contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS).

  Importer must hold a valid medical device sanitary registration and apply for a prior import permit via VUCEM.

  Official source
• pharmaceuticalsImport permit required

  prior import authorization from the Comision Federal para la Proteccion contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS).

  Importer must secure a sanitary import permit and possess a valid sanitary registration issued by COFEPRIS.

  Official source
• telecom/radio equipmentImport permit required

  conformity certificate from the Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT).

  Importer must obtain an IFT Homologation Certificate demonstrating conformity with applicable NOM standards.

  Official source

This is a factual pointer to public rules, not legal advice, and the list is not exhaustive.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to import into Mexico?

It depends on the product. General goods clear Mexico customs without a sector licence, but regulated sectors (medical devices, pharmaceuticals, telecom/radio equipment) require a specific permit, registration or licence from the regulator named on this page.

How do I check an importer in Mexico is allowed to bring in my product?

Ask the buyer for the import permit or product-registration number for the sector, then confirm it with the named regulator. A genuine importer of regulated goods already holds one; a buyer who cannot produce it may not clear customs.

Is importing a specific product into Mexico ever banned?

Most sectors are permitted with the right licence or registration. Always confirm the current rule with the named regulator before shipping.

What do I need to clear customs in Mexico?

A business importing into Mexico needs a Padrón de Importadores registration. Importing into Mexico requires entry in the importers' register held by the tax authority, plus a licensed customs agent for the declaration. A normal commercial shipment also travels with: commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, pedimento (customs declaration), filed by a licensed customs agent, certificate of origin, when claiming a trade-agreement rate.

How much tax do I pay importing into Mexico?

Standard IVA in Mexico is 16%, charged on the goods plus freight plus duty. Customs duty depends on the product's HS code, so there is no single rate: look yours up in SNICE, Mexican foreign-trade information system, then add both to the goods and freight to get the landed cost.

Which Incoterms will a small supplier agree to?

Usually EXW or FCA. Small and artisan producers normally sell EXW (you collect at their workshop) or FCA (they hand the goods to your carrier). Expect to arrange freight, insurance and customs clearance yourself, or through a forwarder. DAP and DDP shift carriage and import formalities onto the seller, and a small maker will usually decline them: under DDP the seller must even be able to pay import taxes in your country. Larger exporters more often quote FOB or CIF for sea freight.

Mexico suppliers by sector

Manufacturers and wholesalers based in Mexico, with the open-record facts we hold on each and a link to the free public source behind them.