Nuevo Laredo, Manzanillo and Veracruz were ranked, in descending order, as Mexico‘s top customs offices for Value Added Tax (VAT) collection in 2022, according to information from Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM).

In particular, the Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas Customs collected 150.15 billion pesos.

This was followed by the Manzanillo, Colima Customs (125.17 billion pesos) and the Veracruz, Veracruz Customs (99.73 billion pesos).

Mexico has introduced various customs and trade facilitation measures over the past four years, such as the establishment of a National Trade Facilitation Committee, the introduction of an electronic customs clearance system and the relaxation of import procedures for products related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the World Trade Organization (WTO) now noted that importers must appoint a customs broker, customs agency or legal representative (who must possess Mexican nationality) to process customs clearance, whereas previously such services were optional, so that importers could carry out customs clearance procedures directly.

Given that the recovery of world trade is still fragile, WTO members urged Mexico to exercise restraint in introducing more trade-restrictive measures.

Major customs

Other major customs offices in Mexico in terms of VAT collection are: Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico City International Airport (AICM), Altamira, Tuxpan, Colombia, Ciudad Juarez and Matamoros.

In general, WTO members congratulated Mexico on new trade-related issues, for creating ANAM in 2021, for continuing to implement measures to facilitate trade, such as electronic customs clearance (paperless customs), the use of consolidated pedimentos and the improvement of the Mexican Foreign Trade Single Window, and for further opening its economy through the entry into force since 2017 of three new treaties to which Mexico is a party.

On the other hand, in order to improve the enforcement of intellectual property rights at the border, the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) permanently provides training to the personnel of the different customs offices in the country with the purpose of providing these officials with the necessary knowledge that will allow them to identify goods that may be protected by some intellectual property right.