The tariff code (fracción arancelaria) is the 8-digit code (plus 2 NICO digits) that determines EVERYTHING that happens to your product at Mexican customs: how much import duty (IGI) it pays, whether a treaty applies, which product standards (NOMs) and permits it needs, and whether it requires a sector registry. Misclassification is the #1 source of fines, seizures and overpayment in Mexican importing.
How it’s structured
Mexico’s tariff schedule (TIGIE) follows the global Harmonized System: Chapter (2 digits) → Heading (4) → Subheading (6, universal) → Tariff code (8, Mexico-specific) → NICO (10, statistical).
Three ways to find it
- Our duty calculator (free, 2 minutes). Search for your product — bicycles, phones, denim — and it shows the candidate codes with the official description, current rates, treaties and regulations.
- The Explanatory Notes and rulings. For complex products (kits, multi-function goods), classification is resolved through the General Rules of Interpretation — specialist territory.
- A formal ruling from the tax authority (SAT). For big volumes or ambiguous products there’s a binding classification ruling: it takes a while, but it gives legal certainty.
Common mistakes
- Copying the code from your overseas supplier: their HS code only matches on the first 6 digits; the last ones are Mexican.
- Classifying by trade name instead of composition/function (customs classifies what the product IS).
- Inheriting old classifications: the schedule changes — what was right in 2020 may not exist today.
Rule of thumb: if two codes look plausible and one pays less… check twice. Customs will too.
Classification that feels risky? Our specialists audit tariff codes every day. Write to us.