Skip to main content

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

Ocean freight··8 min read

Relocating a Production Line to Mexico: IMMEX, Crating and Rigging

·Last reviewed:

Relocating a complete production line from one country to another is one of the most delicate operations in logistics. It isn't about moving boxes: it's about dismantling calibrated equipment, protecting it for weeks in transit, clearing it through customs under the right regime and putting it back together so it produces exactly as before.

At Kold Gold we moved the mobile phone production line of Sagem, the French communications equipment group that made mobile phones. We have also shipped mobile phones and computing and communications equipment. This guide covers what to decide and what to prepare when a plant, or part of one, moves to Mexico.

Regulatory information verified as of October 1, 2026.

What does relocating a production line involve?

An industrial move has six fronts that advance in parallel:

  1. Technical inventory. Every machine, tool, mold, spare part and test fixture, with serial number, weight, dimensions and tariff classification.
  2. Dismantling. By technicians who know the equipment, with photo records and labeling of cables, connections and parts.
  3. Industrial crating. Custom crates and skids, with corrosion and shock protection.
  4. Transport. Ocean freight in most cases, with trucking legs at origin and destination.
  5. Customs regime. Temporary or definitive, with the permits that apply.
  6. Reinstallation. Rigging at the plant, leveling, hookup and commissioning.

If one front slips, the others wait. That's why the plan is built before the first machine is unplugged.

It also helps to assign one owner per front and a single master schedule that everyone works from: the origin plant, the crating contractor, the freight forwarder, the customs broker and the team receiving the equipment in Mexico. Most delays in industrial moves come from handoffs between these groups, not from the voyage itself.

Temporary or definitive import?

This is the most important customs decision, and it should be made before shipping.

Temporary import under an IMMEX program. Mexico's decree for the Manufacturing, Maquiladora and Export Services Industry (IMMEX) allows temporary import of machinery, equipment, tools, instruments, molds and spare parts used in the production process, which can remain in Mexico for as long as the program is in force. Inputs and raw materials have a different time limit (generally 18 months). The company needs an IMMEX program authorized by Mexico's Ministry of Economy and must keep the inventory controls required by the foreign trade rules. Temporary doesn't mean tax-free: Article 110 of Mexico's Customs Law requires program companies to pay the general import duty on the machinery and equipment they import temporarily, and VAT on the temporary import is only offset through the VAT and IEPS certification or a bond (Article 28-A of the VAT Law). Run the numbers with your tax advisor before choosing a regime. Some sensitive goods, listed in Annex II of the decree, carry specific requirements.

Definitive import. The machinery stays in the country without depending on a program. It means paying the applicable import taxes, unless a trade agreement or a sector promotion program applies, and meeting the regulations for each tariff line.

PROSEC. Mexico's Sector Promotion Programs let certain manufacturers import machinery and inputs at preferential duty rates to produce goods in specific sectors, such as electrical and electronics. They are often combined with IMMEX.

CriterionTemporary (IMMEX)Definitive
How long equipment staysWhile the program is in forceIndefinitely
Import taxesImport duty on machinery (with possible PROSEC or trade agreement rates); VAT covered by the VAT and IEPS certification or a bondAs applicable, with possible PROSEC or trade agreement benefits
Administrative controlAuthorized program and inventory controlLower, once nationalized
Best whenThe plant exports its outputOutput is for the Mexican market or the equipment stays for good

Key point. The regime determines which documents, guarantees and controls you need. Decide it with your customs broker and tax advisor before booking the first container. See our customs brokerage service.

Are there special rules for used machinery?

There can be. Depending on the tariff line, used machinery and equipment may be subject to prior permits or non-tariff regulations different from those for new equipment. Review every tariff line in your inventory with your broker before shipping. Our guide to non-tariff regulations (in Spanish) explains how they work, and a used item that needs a permit should be identified early so it can ship in a later wave instead of holding the whole line.

How do you crate a production line?

  • Custom wooden crates, with forklift skids and marked lifting points.
  • Wood treated and marked under ISPM 15, the international standard for wood packaging.
  • Corrosion protection: barrier bags, desiccants and inhibitors, because a month at sea can rust machined surfaces.
  • Internal bracing of moving parts so they don't vibrate in transit.
  • Shock and tilt indicators on sensitive equipment.

Good crating is documented: every crate with its number, contents, weight, center of gravity and photos before closing.

Container, flat rack or breakbulk?

EquipmentUsual option
Medium equipment within standard dimensions20' or 40' container
Tall equipmentOpen-top container
Wide or very heavy equipmentFlat rack or breakbulk
Urgent or high-value partsAir freight

Out-of-gauge equipment is project cargo: it needs a route survey, oversized trucking permits and planned lifts at the port and at the plant. See our ocean freight options.

What is rigging and why does it matter?

Rigging is the lifting, skidding and positioning of heavy equipment with cranes, high-capacity forklifts, rollers and hydraulic jacks. It's planned with the destination plant's drawings: doors, floors, load capacity and internal routes. A line can reach the port in perfect shape and get damaged in the last 50 meters if the rigging wasn't planned.

What if the line makes mobile phones or battery-powered devices?

  • Equipment approval. Telecommunications equipment sold in Mexico requires approval (homologation). With the 2025 reform, those functions moved from the IFT to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT). A new plant should plan approvals for the models it will make for the Mexican market.
  • Lithium batteries. If the inventory includes batteries or devices with batteries, they ship as Class 9 dangerous goods: by sea under the IMDG Code (UN3480 alone, UN3481 packed with or contained in equipment) and by air under IATA rules, which since 2026 require a reduced state of charge for batteries packed with equipment.
  • Electrostatic protection. Boards and electronic components travel in antistatic packaging with humidity control.

The Sagem case: what a mobile phone line move teaches

A mobile phone assembly line, like the Sagem line we relocated, combines almost every challenge in this guide: precision equipment, electronic components sensitive to static and humidity, a technical inventory with many different parts and the need to settle the customs regime before shipping. The lesson we apply to every industrial move: success is decided before the first machine is unplugged, in the inventory, the crating plan and the customs strategy.

Which documents does the move need?

DocumentWhat to watch
Technical inventoryMake, model, serial number, weight, dimensions and tariff line for each item
Invoice or value statementEven without a sale, customs needs a declared value
Packing list per crateCrate number, contents, gross and net weight, dimensions
Bill of ladingConsignee matching the importer in Mexico
IMMEX or PROSEC programIf the import uses them, with the authorized tariff lines
Spec sheets and safety data sheetsFor batteries, oils, gases or chemicals traveling with the equipment

How far ahead should you plan?

Further than it seems. Before the first shipment you need the full inventory, the regime decided, the IMMEX or PROSEC program authorized if you'll use it, the crates built and the destination plant ready to receive: floors, power, access and room for rigging. Lines are usually moved in waves, starting with the equipment that takes longest to reinstall, so the Mexican plant can start up as soon as possible without fully stopping production at origin.

Checklist

  1. Build the technical inventory with a tariff line per item.
  2. Choose the regime: temporary IMMEX or definitive, with or without PROSEC.
  3. Order industrial crating and define corrosion protection.
  4. Plan transport and rigging at origin, port and destination plant.
  5. Check batteries, approvals and permits before shipping.

How we handle it at Kold Gold

  • End-to-end planning: inventory, crating, route, customs regime and schedule.
  • Ocean freight in containers, open tops, flat racks or breakbulk, and air freight for critical parts.
  • Temporary or definitive customs clearance at any Mexican customs office.
  • Rigging coordination and delivery to the plant, with GPS tracking on land.

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 origin plant, your technicians and your team in Mexico.

Explore our technology and telecom logistics service, see our track record 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