How to import manufactured goods from Mexico to the United States

Importing from Mexico is routine: an enormous volume of goods crosses the border every day, mostly by truck. But a first shipment involves parties, documents, and decisions that are easy to get wrong. This is an overview to help you ask the right questions. It isn't legal or customs advice; rules change, and a licensed customs broker should confirm the details for your product.

Who does what

• Your supplier makes and packs the goods and issues the commercial invoice.
• A Mexican customs broker (agente aduanal) files the Mexican export declaration, called a pedimento. Exporters in Mexico must use one.
• A U.S. customs broker files the U.S. import entry on your behalf and calculates duties.
• Carriers move the goods: a Mexican carrier to the border, often a short-haul drayage carrier across it, and a U.S. carrier to your door. Some carriers handle the whole trip.
• You, as importer of record, are legally responsible for the U.S. import: correct classification, value, origin, and duties.

Choose delivery terms deliberately

Incoterms define who handles and pays for each leg, and who carries the risk. Common choices for Mexico:

Incoterm	What it means in practice
EXW (Ex Works)	You collect at the factory and handle everything, including the Mexican export. Hard for a U.S. buyer to manage, since you need a Mexican broker and carrier
FCA (Free Carrier)	The supplier clears the goods for export and hands them to your carrier at a named place. Often the most practical choice
DAP (Delivered at Place)	The supplier delivers to your location; you handle U.S. import clearance and duties
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)	The supplier handles everything, including U.S. duties. Simple for you, but the supplier must be able to act as importer

Whatever you choose, name the exact place (a city, a border crossing, or your warehouse address).

Classification and duties

Every product has a tariff classification in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). The classification determines the duty rate and any other requirements. Getting it right is the importer's responsibility, and your broker can help.

USMCA treatment

Goods that originate in Mexico under the USMCA's rules can enter the U.S. with preferential, often duty-free, treatment. Three points matter:

1. Origin follows the rules for your product, not simply where it was assembled. Products made with significant imported components may or may not qualify, depending on the product's specific rule of origin.
2. You claim it at entry, supported by a certification of origin. The USMCA doesn't require a specific form; the certification must include a set of required data elements and can be completed by the importer, exporter, or producer.
3. Keep records. Importers claiming preference must keep supporting records, generally for at least five years, and be able to show the goods qualified.

Goods that don't qualify pay the standard rate for their classification, plus any other measures in effect. Originating goods qualifying under the USMCA are also generally exempt from the U.S. merchandise processing fee.

Documents

On the U.S. side:

• Commercial invoice with a full description, quantity, value, currency, and country of origin
• Packing list
• Certification of origin, if claiming USMCA treatment
• Transport documents, such as the bill of lading
• A customs bond, required for most formal entries; your broker can arrange a single-entry or continuous bond

On the Mexican side, your supplier and their broker handle the pedimento and an official electronic invoice (CFDI) with the foreign trade complement (complemento de comercio exterior). Goods moving by road inside Mexico also need transport documentation, the Carta Porte complement.

Other agency requirements

Some products need more than customs clearance: food, medical devices, and cosmetics (FDA), plants and some wood products (USDA), certain chemicals (EPA), and consumer products subject to safety rules (CPSC), among others. Check before you ship.

Goods must also generally be marked with their country of origin, for example "Made in Mexico," in a way the end buyer can see.

Getting goods across

Most freight crosses by truck at a few major ports of entry, including Laredo, El Paso, Otay Mesa near San Diego, Nogales, and Pharr. Rail is common for heavy and high-volume goods. Transit times vary with the crossing, the time of day, and inspection rates.

What it costs

Budget for:

• Freight inside Mexico, across the border, and in the U.S.
• Customs brokerage on both sides
• Duties, if your product doesn't qualify for preference
• Bond costs
• Any inspections, warehousing, or delays

A first-shipment checklist

1. Agree on Incoterms and the named place with your supplier.
2. Choose a U.S. customs broker and confirm the HTS classification.
3. Confirm whether the product qualifies under the USMCA, and arrange the certification of origin.
4. Check for other agency requirements and origin marking.
5. Arrange a customs bond.
6. Confirm the supplier's Mexican broker and export documents.
7. Book freight and agree on the crossing.
8. Keep copies of everything.