What Ships in a Full Container (FCL) to and from Mexico

A full container load (FCL) is yours from door to door: it's loaded at your plant or your supplier's, sealed, and not opened again until destination unless customs inspects it. That's why companies moving steady volume, heavy cargo or product that shouldn't share space with someone else's goods choose it.

This guide walks through ten products Mexico imports and exports in full containers, with the type of company that ships each one, the equipment typically used, the main risks and the documents that matter. These are cargo types Kold Gold handles; the summary by transport mode is in our catalog page what we move by transport mode.

Imports in full containers

Plastic resins and polymers (PE, PP)

Who imports them. Global petrochemical producers supplying the Mexican market, and manufacturers of packaging, film and plastic parts.

Equipment. A 40' dry container with palletized 25 kg bags or big bags; for loose bulk, a 20' or 40' fitted with a liner bag and unloaded by gravity or pneumatically.

Risks. Moisture and pellet contamination, a torn liner that turns unloading into a cleanup, and overweight: the box reaches its weight limit before it runs out of space.

Documents. Invoice, packing list, bill of lading (BL), safety data sheet and certificate of analysis. Ask your customs broker to check whether the tariff code and country of origin carry antidumping duties.

Hot-rolled steel coils for automotive stamping

Who imports them. Multinational steelmakers and Tier 1 suppliers that stamp body parts for automakers.

Equipment. A 20' container with wooden cradles so the coil can't roll; a flat rack when the size or weight leaves no other option. A single coil can come close to the container's payload limit.

Risks. Corrosion from condensation, coils shifting because of poor lashing, and edge damage, which in stamping means rejected material.

Documents. The mill test certificate, the automatic import notice for steel products that Mexico's Ministry of Economy requires and, where it applies, a certification of origin for preferential treatment. Many of these companies import under IMMEX or PROSEC programs.

Solar photovoltaic modules and panels

Who imports them. Solar farm developers, EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractors and distributed-generation distributors.

Equipment. A 40' High Cube, with panels standing upright on well-strapped pallets.

Risks. Microcracks from impacts or rough handling that you can't see with the naked eye, theft on the road leg, and arrivals that fall out of step with the construction schedule. If the project includes storage batteries, they travel as dangerous goods and are planned separately.

Documents. An invoice listing serial or model numbers, datasheets and whatever certifications the project and the authorities require for that tariff code.

Tires for commercial vehicles and trucks

Who imports them. Global tire manufacturers and wholesale distributors supplying fleets and repair shops.

Equipment. A 40' High Cube, usually floor-loaded with the tires laced together to use every inch.

Risks. Deformation from poor stowage, count discrepancies at unloading, and loads misdeclared by size or load index.

Documents. On top of the basics, new tires must comply with their Mexican official standard (NOM) for safety and labeling. Used tires face additional restrictions; we only move them on behalf of companies that already hold the permits.

Heavy machinery and CNC lathes

Who imports them. Industrial integrators, metalworking shops and plants expanding or relocating production lines.

Equipment. A standard 40' or High Cube if the machine fits with its crate; an open top if it's craned in from above; a flat rack if it's oversized.

Risks. Corrosion in transit (prevented with inhibitors and closed crating), damage to precision components, and rigging without a lift plan at origin or destination. Wood packaging must be treated and stamped under ISPM 15.

Documents. An invoice with the serial number, a datasheet, photos of the equipment and, if it's used, whatever support the authorities require for its tariff code. If the machine enters under temporary import, the program belongs to the importer. More in relocating a production line to Mexico.

Exports in full containers

Beer in glass bottles

Who ships it. Industrial brewers and independent breweries with export volume.

Equipment. A 20' or 40' dry container; the 20' usually reaches its weight limit first. On long routes in hot season, a thermal liner is used.

Risks. Broken bottles from poor palletizing, heat that affects the product, and damaged labels the buyer rejects.

Documents. Export customs entry (pedimento), an invoice with the foreign-trade complement, Mexico's Sector Exporters' Registry (beer is one of the sectors that requires it) and the label approval the destination country requires, which the importer obtains.

Hass avocados and frozen berries

Who ships them. Agro-industrial packers and trading companies selling into Asia, Europe and North America.

Equipment. A 40' refrigerated container (reefer). Avocados travel fresh, at the temperature and atmosphere the exporter sets for the destination and ripeness; frozen berries usually at −18 °C or colder. Target ranges by product are in products that need cold chain.

Risks. Product loaded without pre-cooling, power cuts in the yard or in transit, doors left open too long, and phytosanitary rejections at destination.

Documents. Phytosanitary certificate, the container's temperature record and the buyer country's sanitary requirements.

Sugar and industrial syrups

Who ships them. Sugar mills and agro-industrial refiners.

Equipment. Sugar in bags or big bags in a 20' dry container; syrups in IBC totes, flexitanks or food-grade ISO tanks.

Risks. Moisture that cakes the sugar, cross-contamination in poorly washed tanks, and leaks from badly installed flexitanks.

Documents. Certificate of analysis, tank cleaning certificate and whatever the destination requires. Sugar sales to the United States are subject to agreements and quotas: those permits belong to the mill, and Kold Gold moves cargo that is already authorized.

Tequila and mezcal

Who ships them. Tequila producers under the appellation of origin, distilleries and certified mezcal brands.

Equipment. A 20' or 40' dry container with the product bottled and palletized. 100% agave tequila leaves bottled at origin; only tequila that is not 100% agave may ship in bulk, in ISO tanks, as the standard allows.

Risks. Breakage and theft, extreme temperatures, and labels that don't meet the destination market's rules.

Documents. The certification body's certificate, the Sector Exporters' Registry, the pedimento and the buyer country's labeling requirements. The details are in exporting tequila and mezcal from Mexico.

Finished vehicles

Who ships them. Automakers with plants in Mexico and exporters of specialty units.

Equipment. High volumes sail on RoRo vessels; in containers, a 40' High Cube with racking systems that fit several units, and a flat rack for tall or heavy vehicles.

Risks. Damage during loading and unloading, plus the battery and fuel, which are declared under the maritime dangerous goods rules.

Documents. Invoice, VIN, export pedimento and whatever the destination country requires to register the vehicle. For a single unit, read how to ship a car from Mexico.

Summary: equipment by product

When a full container makes sense

As a rule of thumb, FCL wins when your cargo fills a good share of the box, is heavy, or shouldn't be handled alongside other shippers' goods. It also means fewer touches and no waiting for a consolidation to fill up. If you move small volumes, consolidated freight (LCL) usually makes more sense: you pay for the space you use, but the cargo goes through a warehouse at each end. Our team can quote both options on the same route so you compare.

How Kold Gold coordinates it

We coordinate full-container ocean freight from origin to destination: space booking with the carrier, pickup and loading, VGM, documents, vessel tracking and final delivery by road. Customs clearance is handled by an allied licensed customs broker; we coordinate it so the pedimento, the importer's permits and the vessel's arrival line up.

We work in the world's busiest international ports and at every customs office in Mexico, including Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Veracruz and Altamira. We verify suppliers before you pay, give you 24/7 tracking, and cargo insurance is available. The transit times we give you are estimates: they depend on the route, transshipments and inspections.

We speak your language: multilingual agents from origin to destination.

Get a quote for your container

Tell us what you move, from where to where and how many containers a month, and we'll propose the equipment and the route. Get a price with our freight quote tool or message us on WhatsApp at +1 (619) 359-6567 or +52 55 8897 4255. You can also email direccion@kold.gold.