China is still the #1 origin for Mexican imports that don’t come from the United States. The operation isn’t complicated — it’s sequential: each stage depends on the one before it being done right. This guide walks you through all eight, in order.
⚠️ Before you cost anything: the tariffs changed. Since January 1, 2026, Mexico charges higher import duty (IGI) rates on goods from countries without a trade agreement — China included — across 1,463 tariff codes. If your costing is from 2025, redo it. Read what changed.
1. Define WHAT you’re importing (before you decide who from)
Everything starts with the tariff code (fracción arancelaria), not the supplier. The code sets your duty rate, your permits, your product standards (NOMs) and whether you need a sector registry. The same product can be profitable at 5% duty and a money-loser at 35%. Look your product up in the calculator and confirm the number before you negotiate.
2. Pick and vet your supplier
- Ask for their business license and check that the name matches the bank account you’re about to wire money to.
- Know whether you’re dealing with a manufacturer or a trading company: the trader is more flexible on volume, the factory gives you better pricing and quality control.
- Get samples, and — for your first serious order — book a third-party inspection before the goods ship. It costs a few hundred dollars and prevents the one problem that has no fix: bad product, on the other side of the world.
3. Agree on the Incoterm (this is where “who pays for what” gets decided)
The Incoterm is no formality: it defines where your supplier’s responsibility ends and where yours begins. The three you’ll see on Chinese quotes:
| Incoterm | What your supplier covers | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| EXW | Just the goods, at their factory | When you have your own forwarder and want full control |
| FOB | Goods + export clearance + loaded on board | The recommended standard — you control the freight |
| CIF | All of the above + freight + insurance to the Mexican port | Convenient, but you pay the supplier’s price for the freight |
Advice from people who see this every day: negotiate FOB. With CIF the supplier picks the carrier and tends to load up destination charges you never saw on their quote. All 11 Incoterms, explained.
4. Get your paperwork ready (in parallel, not afterward)
- Importers registry (padrón) active, with a positive tax-compliance opinion
- Broker authorization (encargo conferido) filed and accepted by your customs broker
- Sector registry, if your tariff code calls for one (textiles, footwear, steel, chemicals…)
- Value declaration (MVE) — mandatory through Mexico’s trade single window (VUTCE) starting August 1, 2026
This stage runs while your supplier produces. Leave it until the vessel has sailed and your cargo arrives at a port you can’t get it out of.
5. Choose your mode and shipment type
Ocean if your cargo can wait (most cases); air if the value per kilo is high or the urgency is real. On the ocean side, the call is FCL vs. LCL: a full container or consolidated freight. Rule of thumb: above ~15 m³, the full container almost always wins. Calculate how much space your cargo takes and compare container types.
6. Shipping documents
Review the draft BL before it’s issued: consignee name, description, quantities and weights must match your invoice and packing list. Fixing an issued BL costs money and days. The minimum set: commercial invoice, packing list, BL or AWB, and — where they apply — NOM certificates and permits.
7. Customs clearance in Mexico
Your customs broker classifies the goods, files the customs entry (pedimento), pays the duties and presents the cargo. That’s when the automated selection mechanism (the “traffic light”) runs: green goes through, red goes to inspection. Budget 1 to 3 business days if the file is clean.
8. Delivery and closeout
Trucking from the port to your warehouse, returning the container within its free time (watch out for detention charges), and archiving the complete file: the customs entry with its annexes, invoice, BL, proofs of payment. Keep it for 5 years — it’s your defense in an audit.
How long does the whole thing take?
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Supplier production | 15 to 45 days |
| Ocean transit China → Manzanillo/Lázaro Cárdenas | 18 to 30 days |
| Air transit | 3 to 7 days |
| Customs clearance | 1 to 3 business days |
| Inland delivery in Mexico | 1 to 4 days |
The first-timer’s most expensive mistake: costing only the FOB price of the goods. The real cost of landing product in your warehouse includes freight, handling, duties, VAT, broker fees and trucking — it can run 30% to 60% above the supplier’s invoice. Here’s the full breakdown.
First import from China? Write to us: we’ll check your tariff code, quote your freight and run the entire operation — without you having to coordinate five different vendors.