# How much does it cost to import into Mexico? The real breakdown

> Every line you pay when importing — freight, handling, duties, VAT, broker fees, trucking — with a complete worked example.

Source: https://www.freightspot.com/en/resources/help/cuanto-cuesta-importar-a-mexico · Updated: 2026-07-26 · Category: Your first import · Publisher: FreightSpot

The question we get more than any other. The honest answer is “it depends” — but the **breakdown doesn’t depend on anything**: it’s always the same seven blocks. Know them and you can budget your operation to within 10%, not 60%.

## The 7 cost blocks

| Block | What it covers | Order of magnitude |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **1. The goods** | What you pay your supplier | Your commercial invoice |
| **2. International freight** | Ocean, air or truck to Mexico | Moves with the lane and the season |
| **3. Origin charges** | Export clearance, THC, documentation | On the supplier if you buy FOB |
| **4. Destination charges** | THC, handling, BL release, storage | Fixed per container, not per value |
| **5. Duties and taxes** | Import duty (IGI), customs processing fee (DTA), VAT, excise tax (IEPS) if it applies | The biggest block on dutiable goods |
| **6. Customs brokerage** | Broker fees, pre-validation, validations | Usually a % of value with a minimum |
| **7. Trucking in Mexico** | From the port or border to your warehouse | By distance and equipment type |

## A worked example: a 20-foot container from Asia

Round numbers on purpose, so the mechanics are easy to follow. Goods worth **$20,000 USD** at an example exchange rate of 18.50 (**$370,000 MXN**), freight and insurance at **$2,000 USD** ($37,000 MXN), a tariff code carrying **15% import duty (IGI)**, no excise tax. Customs value is goods + dutiable additions = **$407,000 MXN**. For your real case, use the day’s exchange rate and your actual tariff code in the [calculator](https://www.freightspot.com/en/tariff-calculator), which already carries the current official rate from the Federal Register (DOF):

| Line | Math | Amount (MXN) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Customs value | 370,000 + 37,000 | $407,000 |
| Import duty (IGI) 15% | 407,000 × 0.15 | $61,050 |
| Customs processing fee (DTA), 0.8% | 407,000 × 0.008 | $3,256 |
| VAT 16% | (407,000 + 61,050 + 3,256) × 0.16 | $75,409 |
| Destination charges | THC, handling, BL release | ~$12,000 |
| Customs brokerage | Broker fees + pre-validation | ~$6,000 |
| Trucking to warehouse | Port → Mexico City | ~$18,000 |
| **Total landed at your warehouse** |  | **~$582,715** |

Your invoice said $370,000. Your real cost is **57% higher**. That’s the number your selling price has to be built on — not the invoice.

## VAT isn’t a cost (if you can credit it)

In the example, $75,409 is VAT. If you’re a registered company with taxable activity, that VAT is **creditable**: you recover it against the VAT you collect on sales. It does hit your **cash flow** — you pay it today and get it back later — but it isn’t a real cost of your product. Strip it out and the example drops to ~$507,000.

## The costs nobody budgets (and everybody pays)

- **Storage and demurrage**: if your file isn’t ready when the cargo lands, the clock starts running. It’s the most common overrun — and the most avoidable.
- **Customs inspection**: draw a red light and there’s unloading, inspection and reloading to pay for. Budget a cushion.
- **NOM certification and labeling**: if your product requires it and doesn’t arrive labeled from origin, it gets labeled in a bonded warehouse — at a cost.
- **Entry corrections**: fixing a customs entry (pedimento) after it’s been paid costs paperwork and time.

## How to lower the number, legally

- **Certificate of origin**: if your goods qualify under a trade agreement, the import duty can drop to 0%. In the example, that’s $61,050 — plus the VAT charged on top of it.
- **Classify correctly**: the wrong tariff code can cost you 20 points of duty — in either direction.
- **Consolidate shipments**: destination charges are nearly fixed per container; filling it lowers your cost per unit.
- **Buy FOB instead of CIF**: you control the freight and see the real charges.

[Calculate the exact duties and taxes for your tariff code](https://www.freightspot.com/en/tariff-calculator) — current rates, applicable trade agreements and the IGI/DTA/VAT breakdown — then [ask us to quote the freight and clearance](https://www.freightspot.com/en/contact) to complete the picture.

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