Mexico’s main international trade procedures include the Notice of Crossing (now suspended), the importers’ registry and the pedimento.
The following paragraphs explain each of these procedures, using the Mexican National Customs Agency (ANAM) and the United States Department of Commerce (USDOC) as sources.
For tax purposes, all Mexican importers must register and appear on the Importers’ Register, maintained by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), which also maintains special sectorial registers.
In order to import more than 400 different items (including agricultural products, textiles, chemicals, electronics and auto parts), Mexican importers must apply to the SHCP to be included in these sectoral registries.
U.S. exporters have occasionally encountered problems when products are added to the list without notice or importers are summarily removed from the registry without notice or further explanation.
After warning of the above, the Department of Commerce recommends keeping in mind that, in many cases, the release of goods from Mexican customs may take longer than expected.
Notice of Crossing and Imports
The basic import document in Mexico is the Pedimento de Importación.
Mexico requires import and export documentation, including a complete pedimento for all commercial crossings.
This document must be accompanied by a commercial invoice, a bill of lading, documents demonstrating assurance of payment of additional duties for undervalued goods, if applicable, and, if applicable, documents demonstrating compliance with Mexican product safety and performance standards.
Although currently suspended, ANAM implemented a mandatory requirement for all Mexican importers, a «Notice of Crossing» prior to clearing goods through Mexican ports.
Effective August 1, 2022 and for four days only, ANAM implemented a requirement that all Mexican importers file a «Aviso de Cruce en el Despacho Aduanero» (Notice of Crossing at Customs Clearance) prior to clearing goods through Mexican ports.
While in operation, the Aviso de Cruce was filed electronically along with other required customs documentation and replaced the Documento de Operación de Despacho Aduanero (DODA) and the Gafete Único de Identificación.
This change only applies to Mexican importers, including transportation companies moving shipments out of Mexican customs ports, and only the legal representative, customs broker, customs agency or power of attorney holder is authorized to submit this information through Mexico’s Electronic Customs System.
Also as planned, failure to comply with this requirement may jeopardize import clearance processes and could result in fines for Mexican importers, customs brokers and carriers.
