Mexico‘s customs registered a year-on-year growth of 3.8% in import PAMAS in 2020, reported the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP).

Regarding control, 7,779 PAMAS (Administrative Procedures in Customs Matters) were started last year.

In this sense, the SAT maintains an exchange of information with other tax administrations to jointly combat commercial fraud and inhibit smuggling, money laundering and fraud.

The PAMAS are procedures established in the Customs Law, through which the customs authorities precautionary seizure of foreign trade goods, when exercising verification powers or when practicing customs recognition, second recognition, or verification of goods in transport .

Number of PAMAS

Customs

In 2020, the embargo on illegally introduced merchandise was for a value of 6.8 billion pesos, 16.7 billion pesos lower than the previous year.

With this, SHCP determined the amount of the PAMAS for 2,100 million pesos, an amount lower by 3,400 million pesos compared to 2019.

This was derived from the review and inspection (cargo and passengers) in the country’s customs.

The decrease in the amount of PAMAS is explained, to a large extent, by a high comparison base in 2019, since in the first semester of said year there was an extraordinary seizure of documents (import of foreign currency through documents receivable or cash) at Toluca Customs.

Regarding operations with value and origin risk, in 2020, 6,424 value analyzes were carried out, 32.9% more than in 2019.

832 seizure orders were also issued (733 for undervaluation, 78 for verifications of tax address and 21 for false or altered documentation and a non-located or non-existent supplier), 28.0% less than the previous year.

The associated amount was 616.9 million pesos, being 66.9% higher in real terms compared to 2019.