Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) has cancelled 41 patents of customs agents allegedly involved in the illegal importation of goods.
In a joint press release issued by ANAM, the Ministry of Economy and the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), this information was released as part of the results of an operation carried out this Tuesday as part of the second phase of the Operation Cleanup strategy.
Patents of customs agents
The customs broker is not a public official. In fact, he is part of the private sector. Its function is to support ANAM in the control of goods entering and leaving the country. In addition, they are in charge of guaranteeing the correct payment of duties and countervailing duties.
Why did ANAM cancel the 41 customs agents’ patents? According to the press release, because they are linked to illegal importation of goods, in collusion with different companies nationwide, which are also being observed by the UIF and the Ministry of Economy.
As a result of the operation carried out this Tuesday, the permits of five companies in the footwear industry were also cancelled. These companies were registered in the Maquiladora and Manufacturing Export Industry (IMMEX) program.
In February, the FIU and the Confederation of Customs Agents Associations of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) signed a collaboration agreement. This agreement seeks to improve practices in the prevention of crimes related to operations with resources of illicit origin within the customs sector.
According to its own data, CAAAREM groups more than 800 customs agents and represents 99% of the agents operating in border, maritime, air and inland customs of the country. It also has 38 associations that make up the guild.
Footwear industry
On this occasion, the state governments of Baja California and Jalisco, the National Guard and the state public security secretariats also participated.
“The IMMEX Program allows the entry of duty-free inputs for manufacturing in Mexico for export purposes. The companies intervened this Tuesday, allegedly have misused the program by importing finished products that remain and are sold in the country, which represents unfair competition to the national industry since, in addition to not paying tariffs, they also do not pay VAT or ISR,” the statement said.
These are five companies, four in the state of Baja California and one more in the state of Jalisco, which together have made imports for 9,000 million pesos.
These are:
- KAIZEN INC. S. DE R.L. DE C.V.
- CO PRODUCTION DE TIJUANA S.A. DE C.V.
- SOLUCIONES EMPRESARIALES M.H. FASHION S. DE R.L. DE C.V.
- PHILKOR TRENDS S. DE R.L. DE C.V.
- GRUPO MAQUILADOR SIN FRONTERA S.A. DE C.V.