Skip to main content

Kold Gold participates in El Buen Fin 2026 · Nov 13–17 Learn more

Customs··8 min read

How to Import Toys from China to Mexico: Standards, Duties and Containers

·Last reviewed:

You found a supplier in Shantou or Yiwu, approved the samples, and Children's Day or the holiday season is already on the calendar. What few importers plan for is that a toy container can sit at Mexican customs over something as simple as a label missing the recommended age or the importer's details.

Toys are among the most scrutinized goods in Mexico because children use them. This guide covers what to check before your cargo leaves China so it reaches your warehouse in time for the season, not after it.

Regulatory information verified as of September 29, 2026.

Why do toy containers get held?

The reasons repeat:

  • Incomplete labeling. Commercial information in Spanish, the recommended age, warnings or the importer's details are missing.
  • Wrong tariff classification. A doll, a board game, a tricycle and a video game don't share a tariff line, and each line carries its own duty and regulations.
  • Miscalculated duty. Since January 2026, many toy tariff lines went up for countries without a trade agreement with Mexico, such as China.
  • Paperwork that doesn't match. Commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading with different quantities or descriptions.
  • Declared value below the estimated price. Since May 27, 2025, several chapter 95 toy tariff lines have been subject to the Ministry of Finance's estimated prices (Annex 5 of the resolution, updated on February 10, 2026). If you declare a lower value, you must guarantee the tax difference in a customs guarantee account; ask your customs broker whether your tariff line is on the list.

Almost all of this can be caught before the vessel sails, when fixing it is cheap.

Which Mexican standards (NOMs) apply to toys?

NOM-015-SCFI-2007: commercial information

NOM-015-SCFI-2007, "Commercial information - Labeling for toys," was published in Mexico's Official Gazette (DOF) on April 17, 2008 and is listed as in force in the Ministry of Economy's standards catalog, which confirmed it in its 2023 five-year review. It sets the commercial information toys sold in Mexico must carry, including:

  • The generic product name, when it isn't obvious at a glance.
  • Name and address of the manufacturer or importer.
  • Country of origin.
  • Recommended age for use.
  • Risk warnings where the toy requires them (small parts, projectiles, water toys and others).
  • Instructions, when needed to use or assemble the toy.

The information must be in Spanish. The safest route is having the factory print the packaging or label at origin using text you approve. If that isn't possible, ask your customs broker which compliance options apply to your case before shipping.

NOM-252-SSA1-2011: heavy metals

NOM-252-SSA1-2011 (environmental health; toys and school supplies; bioavailability limits for heavy metals) was published in the DOF on May 15, 2012, took effect on August 13, 2012 and is also listed as in force, with a January 2025 review confirming it. It limits lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury and other metals in paints, coatings and accessible materials of toys and school supplies.

How compliance is demonstrated depends on the tariff line and the product, but ask your supplier for current lab test reports on heavy metals before production. If the toy has paint or coatings, don't leave this for last.

Key point. Each tariff line carries its own non-tariff regulations. Have your customs broker check them for your specific product before you close the purchase. See our customs brokerage service.

Do I need a sector-specific importer registration for toys?

Currently, there is no toy-specific sector. Annex 10 of the 2026 General Foreign Trade Rules lists 16 sectors in the Specific-Sector Importers Registry (chemicals, firearms, footwear, textiles and apparel, steel, automotive and others), and none covers chapter 95 of the tariff schedule, where toys are classified.

That doesn't exempt you from SAT's general Importers Registry, which is mandatory for definitive imports. Also check every item: a plush toy with textile classification, a costume or light-up children's shoes may fall outside chapter 95 and into a sector that does require registration.

What duty do Chinese toys pay in Mexico in 2026?

Duties are not what they were two years ago:

  • December 29, 2025. The DOF published a decree amending 1,463 tariff lines of Mexico's General Import and Export Tax Law (LIGIE) across 17 sectors, including toys, with higher duties for goods from countries without a trade agreement with Mexico. It took effect on January 1, 2026.
  • According to press coverage of the publication, rates for toys and plastics landed in a 25% to 35% range depending on the tariff line.

The exact rate depends on your product's tariff line. Before setting a retail price, have your broker confirm the current duty, VAT and the other items on the import entry (pedimento). Everything starts with classification, because every number downstream depends on it.

Full container or consolidated?

ModeWhat it isBest for
FCL 20'A dedicated 20-foot containerMedium volumes or heavier goods
FCL 40' / 40HCA dedicated 40-foot container, standard or high cubePeak seasons, large assortments and bulky cartons
LCL (consolidated)Your cargo shares a container with other importers' freightSmall orders, product tests and replenishment

Toys are usually light and bulky, so space, not weight, is almost always the limit. A 40HC adds usable height for large cartons. With LCL you pay only for the space your goods take. See our ocean freight service for how FCL and LCL work on the China-Mexico lane.

Transit times depend on origin port, carrier, arrival port and season. Always ask for a lane-specific estimate and plan with room to spare: to hit the holidays, production and booking are decided months ahead, and Chinese New Year shuts factories and tightens vessel space.

Which documents should travel with the cargo?

DocumentWhat to watch
Commercial invoiceDetailed description per model: toy type, material, recommended age and unit price
Packing listCartons, pieces, weights and volume matching the invoice line by line
Bill of ladingConsignee that matches the importer of record
Labeling evidencePhotos or samples of packaging and Spanish label
Lab reportsHeavy metals, plus whatever your broker requests for the tariff line
Certificate of originOnly if the origin qualifies for a preference

The more specific the invoice description, the less room customs has to question your classification.

What does a pre-loading inspection cover?

The factory inspection is your last chance to fix things without paying for freight, storage or penalties. For toys it covers three fronts:

  • Quality. Complete parts, paint and finish, working mechanisms and batteries, undamaged packaging.
  • Quantity. Cartons and pieces per model against the purchase order and packing list.
  • Labeling. Every package carries the Spanish commercial information approved for Mexico, recommended age and warnings.

If something is off, the factory fixes it before the container is sealed. If everything checks out, the goods are loaded with photo evidence. For peak-season cargo, consider cargo insurance: a loss in transit in November can't be replaced by December.

What about toys with batteries, lights or radio control?

Toys with electronics add a layer of review. Depending on the product and its tariff line, electrical safety standards may apply, and anything with a radio transmitter, such as remote-control cars, drones or Bluetooth toys, may need equipment homologation in Mexico before it can be sold. Since the 2025 telecom reform, that process is handled by the Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT), which took over from the former IFT.

Batteries also matter for transport. Lithium batteries, loose or installed in equipment, are dangerous goods under the IMDG Code for ocean freight and must be declared, packed and labeled accordingly. Tell your forwarder about them when you book, not when the cargo reaches port.

Pre-shipment checklist

  1. Classify every model. The tariff line sets duty and regulations.
  2. Confirm your registration. General registry always; sector registry if any item falls outside chapter 95 into an Annex 10 sector.
  3. Approve labeling under NOM-015-SCFI-2007 before production.
  4. Request lab reports on heavy metals.
  5. Inspect before loading for quality, quantity and labeling.
  6. Reconcile the documents across invoice, packing list and B/L.
  7. Customs review before sailing, not after the container arrives.
  8. Set the Incoterm and who pays for each leg.

How Kold Gold handles it

  • Pickup at the factory or warehouse in China and trucking to port.
  • Inspection before loading: quality, quantity and labeling.
  • Customs review before sailing: classification, applicable NOMs and documents.
  • FCL 20', 40' or 40HC, or LCL consolidated from China's main ports.
  • Customs clearance at any Mexican customs office and delivery to your warehouse.

We operate in the world's busiest international ports and at every customs office in Mexico. We speak your language: multilingual agents who coordinate with your supplier in China and with you in English or Spanish.

Explore our toy imports from China to Mexico service or get a quote with our freight quote tool. Message us on WhatsApp or call +52 55 8897 4255 (Mexico) or +1 (619) 359-6567 (United States). You can also email direccion@kold.gold.

Sources

Related articles

Back to the blog