A vital aspect of any shipment handled in or out of Mexico is obviously the customs clearance. In spite of a plethora of free trade and other international agreements signed by Mexico with other countries, coupled with the simplification of Mexico administrative procedures, we have in fact seen that customs clearance procedures, especially on import shipments, have actually become progressively more complex and difficult, even on merchandise which does not pay any ad-valorem taxes.
Atlas Van Lines Mexican is not, and cannot legally be in Mexico, a customs broker. However, we consider this an advantage in providing customs clearance services, as it allows us to provide greater quality and greater flexibility to our customers.
We have a network of customs brokers at all the port, airports and customs points through which we provide freight forwarding services; however, at each point we use the services of a broker selected for the quality of service provided at that specific point. When providing customs clearance services. we emphasize accurate communication and speed in clearance, at the same time making the procedure as clear as possible to our customers. On imports into Mexico, the customs clearance process is the aspect which can generate the most complaints from customers on an industry-wide basis, for the reasons mentioned in the first paragraph, so we are very much aware of the importance of providing an efficient customs clearance service.
Atlas Mexicana can provide rate quotes for customs clearance via any port or airport; however, to do so and because of the Mexican customs structure, we always require the following information:
- Description of goods (or HTS number, if available)
- Commercial value of goods
- Intended Mexican port to use
- FCL or LCL (ocean freight)
- LCL or LTL (truck freight)
- Shipped on MAWB or HAWB (air freight)
- Specific Mexican city of origin or destination
- Weight
- Volume
- Type of import (definite or temporary)
- Whether NAFTA certificate of origin will be available
The more accurate the information regarding the merchandise, the better able we will be to provide approximate duties and taxes, advise of any compensatory quotas, indicate if any special permits or authorizations are required, etc.
You should bear in mind that to import, at a bare minimum, the importer must be registered as such with the Mexican government; therefore, companies which have never imported previously may have to go through the approval procedure, which could delay the actual importation of the goods. Some types of merchandise may require that the importer be additionally registered as an importer of that specific type of merchandise, and, without this specific registration, they may not be authorized to import the goods.
Regarding values, Mexican customs uses "official" values for goods. If the commercial value of the goods is below this "official" value, then the importer must go through a special procedure in order to import the goods, involving setting up a special bank account as guarantee. Under normal circumstances, goods are subject to the payment of ad valorem duties and VAT (on the total of the commercial value plus ad valorem duties). Even if the goods do not pay ad valorem duties, they will still pay the VAT. Any and all duties must always be advanced to us.
