# How to import from China to Mexico: a step-by-step guide

> The 8 stages of an import from China — supplier, Incoterm, freight, 2026 tariffs, clearance and delivery — with the real costs and timelines.

Source: https://www.freightspot.com/en/resources/help/como-importar-de-china-a-mexico · Updated: 2026-10-09 · Category: Your first import · Publisher: FreightSpot

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.

> **Important:** **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](https://www.freightspot.com/en/resources/help/aranceles-mexico-paises-sin-tlc-2026).

Want the short version? [How importing from China to Mexico works, in 4 steps](https://www.freightspot.com/en/import-from-china-to-mexico).

## 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](https://www.freightspot.com/en/tariff-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](https://www.freightspot.com/en/resources/incoterms).

## 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)** — filed electronically through Mexico’s trade single window (VUTCE); the transitional scheme runs through October 31, 2026 and electronic filing phases in by regime (definitive imports: January 15, 2027). [The full calendar](https://www.freightspot.com/en/resources/help/como-hacer-manifestacion-de-valor)

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](https://www.freightspot.com/en/cbm-calculator) and [compare container types](https://www.freightspot.com/en/resources/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](https://www.freightspot.com/en/resources/help/cuanto-cuesta-importar-a-mexico).

**First import from China?** [Write to us](https://www.freightspot.com/en/contact): we’ll check your tariff code, quote your freight and run the entire operation — without you having to coordinate five different vendors.

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Need to move cargo or sort out a filing? [Contact FreightSpot](https://www.freightspot.com/en/contact) · Tel. +52 55 5351-8362 · hello@freightspot.com