What Mexico Imports: Top Products and Entry Requirements

Most of what Mexico buys from the world isn't headed to a store: it's headed to a factory. Chips, auto parts, resins, steel and grain that industry turns into something else, often for export.

Group by group, this guide explains where each kind of cargo usually comes from, how it ships, what Mexico requires at entry and where shipments get stuck. It closes with what you need in place before your first shipment.

Figures verified on October 2, 2026 against the INEGI release cited under Sources.

What does Mexico import? The big picture in one figure

In 2025 Mexico imported about US$664 billion in goods, 4.4% more than in 2024, according to the preliminary Merchandise Trade Balance figures that INEGI, Mexico's national statistics agency, published in January 2026. Of that value, 76.8% were intermediate goods, meaning inputs and components for production; 14.7% were consumer goods and 8.5% were capital goods such as machinery.

Most are inputs a plant is expecting on a date. That's why classification, permits and clearance matter as much as the freight itself.

Those products fall into six groups. The detail is in our catalog of Mexico's top 50 imports.

The six groups at a glance

Electronics, machinery and technology

Where from and how. Chips, semiconductors and circuit boards arrive mostly from Asia and the United States. They are worth a lot and weigh little, so they usually fly. Finished equipment such as displays or computers moves by container into Mexico's Pacific ports. Heavy machinery and turbines move as project cargo, on flat racks or as breakbulk.

What Mexico requires. Devices sold to the public must meet the NOM (Mexican Official Standards) for safety and commercial information for their tariff code. Equipment with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or cellular connectivity also needs approval from the telecommunications authority. Components that a plant assembles and re-exports usually enter temporarily under an IMMEX program.

Typical pitfall. A NOM certificate issued to a different company or for a model that doesn't match the invoice. Lithium batteries not declared as dangerous goods. Machinery crated in wood without the ISPM 15 treatment mark. The details are in our guide to importing electronics from China by container; for plant equipment, see relocating a production line to Mexico.

Automotive sector

Where from and how. Parts and engines arrive by truck and rail at plants in the Bajío region and the north, with very tight delivery windows. What comes from Asia and Europe enters by container, and finished vehicles on RoRo vessels.

What Mexico requires. To pay a trade agreement's preferential duty, the goods must meet the rule of origin and carry their certification of origin; without it, they pay the general rate. Certain vehicle tariff codes require registration in the automotive sector registry on top of the general importers' registry. Used vehicles fall under their own restrictive regime, and used tires are subject to a prior permit.

Typical pitfall. Assuming that anything shipped from the United States originates in North America. Duty is decided by the origin of the goods, not the port of departure, and since January 2026 Mexico's general rate has been higher on many automotive tariff codes for countries without a trade agreement. Our partner licensed customs broker can check origin and rate before you buy; see our customs brokerage service.

Fuels and energy products

Where from and how. In 2025 petroleum imports came to roughly US$46.8 billion, according to INEGI. Fuels come mainly from the United States: natural gas by pipeline; gasoline and diesel on tanker vessels into marine terminals, and in rail tank cars and tank trucks across the border. Packaged lubricants ship as general cargo.

What Mexico requires. This is the most tightly controlled group. Importing hydrocarbons and refined products requires prior permits from the energy authority, registration in the hydrocarbons and fuels sector registry, clearance through the customs offices authorized for these goods, quality specifications and volumetric controls. On top of VAT, fuels are subject to IEPS, Mexico's excise tax.

Our rule. We move this cargo only on behalf of companies that already hold the permits the authority requires, and with specialized operators. The permits always belong to the holder.

Typical pitfall. Assuming a lubricant "isn't a fuel." Some tariff codes for oils can fall under the same controls: confirm it code by code before shipping.

Chemicals and plastics

Where from and how. Plastic resins arrive from the United States in rail hopper cars and by truck, and from Asia by container, in bags or bulk bags. Bulk liquids travel in ISO tanks or flexitanks; fertilizers, in bulk by vessel. Sensitive medicines and reagents go by air under temperature control.

What Mexico requires. It depends on the substance, not the trade name. Hazardous products ship with a safety data sheet and under IMDG or IATA rules. Medicines, active ingredients and diagnostic reagents need health authorizations from COFEPRIS, Mexico's health regulator; pesticides, toxic substances and certain fertilizers need health and environmental authorizations. Chemical precursors may only enter through designated customs offices.

Typical pitfall. An old or incomplete safety data sheet, which makes it impossible to classify the product and book space. Or a polymer declared under a generic tariff code when a specific one applies. Read our guide to shipping paints and chemical reagents.

Metals and industrial materials

Where from and how. Steel from Asia arrives as coils and plate, as breakbulk or in containers, at ports such as Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Altamira and Veracruz. Steel from North America crosses by rail and flatbed. Weight rules here: a poorly chocked coil or a container with badly distributed weight is a safety risk and grounds for rejection at the terminal.

What Mexico requires. Many steel products need an automatic import notice filed with the Ministry of Economy. It is processed before clearance and backed by the certificate from the mill that produced the steel and by the quality certificate. The sector also has its own registry, and several steel products pay antidumping duties depending on origin.

Typical pitfall. Shipping without the approved notice, or with a mill certificate that doesn't match the invoice in weight or description. Before you buy, check whether your tariff code and origin carry an antidumping duty.

Grains, meat and food

Where from and how. Yellow corn, soybeans and wheat arrive mostly from the United States, in hopper-car trains that cross the border and on bulk carriers into Gulf ports; also from South America, by sea. Pork and chicken travel chilled or frozen: in refrigerated trailers across the border or in reefer containers.

What Mexico requires. SENASICA, the agricultural health agency, sets plant-health and animal-health requirements by product and country of origin: a health certificate from the exporting country, an authorized origin and plant where applicable, and inspection at an authorized point of entry. Some products enter under a quota. Prepackaged foods for retail sale must meet the NOM-051 labeling standard.

Our rule. We move bulk grain only on behalf of companies that already hold the permits, quotas and authorizations the law requires, with specialized operators.

Typical pitfall. A health certificate whose data doesn't match the invoice, or meat arriving at a customs office with no inspection point for that product. For temperature-controlled cargo, see our cold chain logistics service.

What you need before your first shipment

The underlying requirements are almost the same for any product:

1. Tax standing in order. An active RFC (Mexican tax ID), a valid e.firma (e-signature), a verified tax address and a positive tax compliance opinion.
2. Importers' registry. Registration in the SAT's general importers' registry (padrón de importadores) and, if your product belongs to a specific sector, in the sector registry as well.
3. Tariff code. The duty rate and every permit depend on it. Settle the classification before you pay your supplier.
4. Non-tariff regulations. NOM standards, permits, notices and quotas. They are met before the goods arrive, not at the customs office.
5. Customs broker. Authorized to clear on your behalf.
6. Shipping documents. Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, value declaration and, if you'll claim a tariff preference, the certification of origin.
7. Total cost calculated. Duty, customs processing fee and VAT, plus freight, handling and insurance.

How Kold Gold handles it

We coordinate air, ocean and ground freight with import customs clearance and delivery to your plant or warehouse. Before quoting, we review tariff code, origin and regulations, and tell you which permits fall to you as the importer. Our track record includes computer equipment, mobile phones, machinery, paint and chemical reagents.

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, the ocean carrier or airline, and you.

Browse the full cargo catalog 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 write to direccion@kold.gold.

Sources

• INEGI, Merchandise Trade Balance of Mexico, preliminary figures through December 2025 (January 27, 2026): https://www.inegi.org.mx/contenidos/saladeprensa/boletines/2026/comext_o/balcom_o2026_01.pdf