Complete guide to the IOR for Mexico in 2026

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What is IOR in Mexico and Why It's Critical for Your Operation

IOR (Importer of Record) is the legal entity that appears as the responsible importer before Mexican customs and tax authorities. It's not just about "who pays the taxes," but about who assumes complete responsibility if something is incorrectly declared, fails to comply with regulations, or generates incidents during customs clearance.

In practice, the IOR is the principal obligor before authorities on critical aspects such as:

  • Correct tariff classification of goods
  • Compliance with non-tariff regulations and restrictions (permits, NOMs, certificates)
  • Payment of duties and taxes (IGI, VAT, DTA, and others)
  • Documentary accuracy in commercial invoice, customs value, origin, and description
  • Traceability and inventory control as established by Customs Law
  • Response to inspections, reviews, and audits by customs authorities

The Operational Reality of IOR in Mexico

Although the IOR typically operates through a customs broker (patente) who handles customs clearance, the importer remains the legal responsible party for the operation. The customs broker facilitates the process but doesn't eliminate your exposure as IOR to compliance issues.

This means that if there are errors in classification, undervaluation, inconsistent documentation, or NOM non-compliance, the consequences fall on the IOR: fines, merchandise retention, suspension from the Importers Registry, costly amendments, and in severe cases, administrative customs procedures (PAMA).

Why Understanding IOR from the Start Matters

Many companies discover the complexity of IOR when they already have goods in transit or detained at customs. Typical scenarios include:

  • Detained merchandise due to incomplete or inconsistent documentation
  • Unexpected costs from amendments, fines, or duty adjustments
  • Inability to import due to not being registered in the Importers Registry
  • NOM compliance issues detected at the border
  • Registry suspension that paralyzes the entire operation

Understanding what being an IOR entails—or hiring a third-party IOR—before your first import saves you time, money, and legal risks that could compromise your operation in Mexico.

30-second summary What matters before your first import

IOR is not “who pays”. It is who is legally accountable if anything is misdeclared or non-compliant.

  • Full legal responsibility: HS classification, customs value, origin, permits, NOMs and the compliance file.
  • Real risks: penalties, holds, costly amendments, and suspension from the Importers Registry.
  • Minimum requirements: RFC, valid e.signature, Importers Registry (and sectorial if applicable), plus appointing a customs broker.
  • Healthy process: HS code + non-tariff rules + coherent documents + VUCEM when needed + post-clearance controls.
  • Key decision: if you lack local infrastructure or need speed, a third-party IOR reduces friction and exposure.

Essential Requirements to Act as IOR in Mexico

To import into Mexico as IOR, you must meet minimum requirements of the Importers Registry that are constantly verified by SAT (Mexican Tax Authority):

Basic Tax Requirements

  1. Active and valid RFC: Federal Taxpayer Registry registered with SAT
  2. Valid e.firma (FIEL): Electronic signature for procedures and customs operations
  3. Current on tax obligations: No debts, pending declarations, or inconsistencies
  4. "Located" tax domicile: SAT must be able to verify your address; a "not located" status blocks operations
  5. Registration in the Importers Registry: Specific procedure that enables you to import

Operational Requirements

  1. Mandate to customs broker: Formal relationship with a customs broker who will clear shipments for you
  2. Registration in sector-specific registries when applicable: Some products require additional registrations (textiles, footwear, alcohol, tobacco, etc.)
  3. Customs guarantee account in specific cases: For certain regimes or when the authority requires it

What Many Don't Know: Ongoing IOR Obligations

Being an IOR isn't just "registering once." It involves permanent obligations that can cause suspension if you don't comply:

  • Automated inventory control: Especially critical if you import under special regimes
  • Document retention: Customs declarations, invoices, annexes, value vouchers, permits, and certificates for 5 years
  • Data updates: Changes in address, representatives, economic activity must be reported
  • Response to requirements: The authority can request information, documentation, or clarifications at any time

If you don't have local Mexican structure (legal entity, offices, tax team), meeting these requirements is complex and costly. That's why many companies opt for a third-party IOR that already has all the infrastructure in place.

Step-by-Step Process to Import Correctly as IOR

Importing without issues requires a clear operational flow covering from classification to post-clearance control. This is the recommended process:

Step 1: Tariff Classification and Origin Strategy

Before moving goods, define the correct tariff classification and country of origin. This determines:

  • Duties to pay (IGI)
  • Required permits and certifications
  • Applicable NOMs (Mexican Official Standards)
  • Tariff preferences through trade agreements
  • Risk of subsequent amendments

Classification errors are the most expensive mistake: they generate fines, detentions, duty adjustments, and can lead to complete audits. A misclassified product can change your IGI from 0% to 35%.

Step 2: Identify Non-Tariff Regulations and Restrictions (RRNA)

Many goods require NOM compliance for commercial information, sanitary, technical, or safety standards. Compliance can be achieved through various means:

  • Labeling at origin: Product arrives ready for commercialization
  • Labeling in Mexican territory: Done in warehouse or bonded facility
  • Prior certificates: Some products require permits before clearance

Customs authorities verify this according to the applicable scheme, and lack of compliance generates immediate detentions.

Step 3: Importer Registration and Enablement

If you don't have your own IOR, you need to complete:

  • RFC + e.firma
  • Importers Registry (and sector-specific if applicable)
  • Configure operation with customs broker (mandate conferral)

This process can take weeks and requires technical knowledge of foreign trade.

Step 4: Prepare the Documentary Set

The IOR must support clearance with 100% consistent documentation:

  • Commercial invoice: With detailed description, values, sales terms
  • Packing list: Weights, dimensions, units, marks
  • Transport document: Bill of Lading (maritime) or Air Waybill (air)
  • Value data: Incoterm, incremental expenses, fund origin
  • Certificates: Origin, NOMs, sanitary, permits according to product
  • Purchase traceability: Supplier, payments, contract, terms

The key is consistency: description, quantities, units, values, and currency must be aligned across all documents.

Step 5: VUCEM Procedures When Applicable

VUCEM (Single Window for Foreign Trade) centralizes pre-clearance procedures: permits, notices, electronic certificates. If your product requires prior documents, VUCEM is part of the flow.

Since December 2025, the Electronic Value Declaration (MVE) via VUCEM is mandatory to combat undervaluation. This implies:

  • Capture request in VUCEM with importer's RFC
  • Allow customs broker to download MVE and annexes
  • Keep MVE digitally for legal period

Step 6: Customs Clearance and Pedimento

The pedimento (customs declaration) is the base document for customs clearance, where all critical data is recorded: classification, value, duties, identifiers, RRNA.

Your control as IOR must include:

  • Pre-crossing review: Validate everything is correct before clearance
  • Post-clearance review: Detect errors requiring amendment
  • Organized archive: Pedimento, annexes, payment vouchers, acknowledgments

An error in the pedimento can cost weeks and thousands of pesos in amendments and storage.

Step 7: Post-Clearance Control and Traceability

Once goods are cleared, the IOR must:

  • Register entry in inventories: Reconcile pedimento vs physical goods vs ERP
  • Maintain complete file: For 5 years, available for audit
  • Monitor incidents: Reviews, requirements, value adjustments
  • Prepare reports: For internal control and authority response

Without post-clearance control, you're vulnerable to audits and have no evidence to defend yourself.

Taxes and Duties: What You'll Actually Pay

As IOR, you must understand what duties are incurred on each import and how they're calculated. SAT outlines the main ones:

Main Import Duties and Taxes

Duties and taxes, calculation base, and typical rate
Contribution What it is Calculation base Typical rate
IGI (General Import Tax) Tariff based on the tariff classification Customs value 0% - 35% depending on the product and trade agreements
VAT Value Added Tax Customs value + IGI + other contributions 16% (0% in border zones for some products)
DTA Customs Processing Fee Per operation (import entry) Fixed fee depending on the type of operation
IEPS Special Tax on Production and Services Customs value (varies by product) Variable: alcoholic beverages, tobacco, fuels, non-basic foods
ISAN New Vehicle Tax Vehicle value Variable depending on the vehicle’s characteristics
Countervailing duties Anti-dumping or countervailing measures Customs value Variable depending on the product and country of origin

1. IGI (General Import Tax)

This is the tariff you pay according to tariff classification. It can be:

  • 0% if tariff preference applies (USMCA, treaties)
  • 5% to 35% depending on product type
  • Ad valorem (percentage of value) or specific (per unit)

Depends entirely on correct classification and proven origin.

2. Import VAT

Calculated on a base that includes:

  • Customs value
  • IGI paid
  • Other taxes incurred

Typically 16%, although there are exceptions (0% in border zone for certain products).

3. DTA (Customs Processing Fee)

It's a fee per operation regulated in the Federal Law of Fees. Charged for filing a pedimento or customs document.

4. Other Specific Taxes

Depending on the product, you may incur:

  • IEPS (alcoholic beverages, tobacco, fuels, non-basic foods)
  • ISAN (new vehicles)
  • Countervailing duties if applicable

How Customs Value Is Determined (and Why It Matters So Much)

Customs value is the base for calculating IGI and VAT. It's not simply "what the invoice says." It's determined through:

  1. Transaction value (price actually paid or payable)
  2. Plus incremental items: Expenses not included in invoice that must be added (certain freight, insurance, technical assistance, royalties, commissions)
  3. Minus deductible items: Concepts that can be subtracted if distinguished and supported

The authority expects you to prove each figure. If you declare a value that seems low without support, you're exposed to:

  • Presumptive determination: Authority assigns an estimated value (always higher)
  • Fines and adjustments: You pay differences with surcharges
  • Audits: Complete review of operations

Critical Operational Advice

Although your customs broker executes the calculation, as IOR you need internal control with:

  • Validated tariff classification
  • Documented customs value (contract, Incoterm, payments, incremental items)
  • Duty calculation reviewed vs pedimento
  • Validation checklist before each import

Without this control, you don't know if you're overpaying, underpaying, or have audit exposure.

Current Challenges of Managing IOR Without Specialized Infrastructure

Companies attempting to handle IOR internally or with non-specialized providers face structural challenges that limit growth and generate risks:

Technical Complexity and Constant Regulatory Changes

The Mexican customs framework changes constantly:

  • General Foreign Trade Rules (RGCE) are updated annually
  • New registry suspension grounds appear each year
  • Electronic file requirements have tightened in 2026
  • Electronic Value Declaration (MVE) is mandatory since December 2025
  • VUCEM validations become stricter

Staying updated requires full-time dedication, specialized resources, and connections with authorities. A company that imports occasionally simply can't keep up.

Hidden and Variable Costs Difficult to Predict

Although a customs broker gives you a "rate," real costs include:

  • Extended zone surcharges that appear after clearance
  • Re-shipments when addresses are incomplete
  • Volumetric adjustments not calculated in initial quote
  • Fuel surcharges that vary monthly
  • Additional insurance costs according to product value
  • Amendments when there are errors in pedimento
  • Bonded warehouse storage for detentions or inspections
  • Fines and charges for non-compliance

This variability makes it impossible to predict real cost, affecting margins and financial planning.

Risk of Importers Registry Suspension

In 2026, new suspension grounds have been discussed including:

  • Omitting or incorrectly presenting customs guarantee account or letter of credit
  • Tax domicile inconsistencies or contact data
  • Failure to respond to authority requirements
  • Undocumented operations

Registry suspension isn't a fine: it's an operational shutdown. If you're suspended, you can't import. Many companies find out when they already have goods in transit, and storage, delay, and re-shipment costs skyrocket.

Lack of Control Over NOM Compliance

NOMs change, get updated, and become stricter. Recent examples:

  • NOM-259 in cosmetics: More stringent manufacturing practices
  • NOM-141: Labeling with more mandatory fields
  • Safety NOMs: In electronics, toys, textiles

If you don't have a NOM monitoring system and compliance expertise, you import "blindly" with detention risk on every shipment.

Fragmented Management With Multiple Providers

Without a specialized IOR, you end up coordinating:

  • Customs broker (who only clears)
  • International carrier
  • Destination warehouse
  • NOM labeling provider
  • Compliance verifier
  • Accountant for duties
  • Lawyer for incidents

Each incident requires coordinating 3-5 providers, with slow response times, diffuse responsibilities, and costs that double from lack of integration.

Impossible Scaling Without Own Infrastructure

When the business grows and you need to import more frequently:

  • No economies of scale in customs rates or logistics
  • Each shipment requires the same manual effort without automation
  • Complexity grows exponentially with more SKUs, more origins, more channels
  • No consolidated data to negotiate better conditions
  • Your teams get saturated in logistics coordination instead of selling

Without scalable infrastructure, growth stalls or operational quality deteriorates.

Quick decision matrix Which option usually fits better

You do not have a Mexican entity

Third-party IOR

Enter the market without RFC, registry, or local tax infrastructure. Faster setup and lower administrative complexity.

You need speed (time to market)

Third-party IOR

If you are racing a launch or inbound inventory, this is usually the quickest route to operate without bottlenecks.

You have an internal team and stable operations

In-house IOR

Worth it when you import consistently, have mature processes, and can maintain ongoing compliance year-round.

High regulatory complexity and multiple categories

Third-party IOR

Especially useful with many NOMs, frequent changes, and the need for an integrated workflow that prevents repeated holds.

Note: this is an operational guide. Final choice depends on volume, product category, risk tolerance, and your real capacity to sustain compliance.

When a Third-Party IOR Makes Sense and What to Validate

Using a third-party IOR (a provider that imports in their name for you) makes sense in several scenarios:

Scenarios Where a Third-Party IOR Is the Best Option

1. You don't have a Mexican entity

If you're a foreign brand wanting to sell in Mexico without creating a local company, a third-party IOR allows you to:

  • Import immediately without RFC, registry, or tax structure
  • Avoid costs and time of legal incorporation in Mexico
  • Test market before committing to permanent presence

2. Significant volume but complex operation

If you're scaling and need to import regularly with volumes of 200+ monthly orders, handling IOR internally consumes critical resources that should focus on sales and marketing.

3. You need speed to enter the market

Setting up IOR infrastructure can take 2-4 months. A specialized third-party IOR allows you to import in 2-3 weeks.

4. Products with high regulatory complexity

Cosmetics, supplements, processed foods, medical devices, electronics: all have specific NOMs and frequent regulatory changes. A specialized IOR already has the processes and expertise.

Comparison: Own IOR vs Third-Party IOR

Comparison: In-house IOR vs third-party IOR
Factor In-house IOR Specialized third-party IOR
Setup time 2-4 months 2-3 weeks
Upfront investment High (legal setup, registrations, staff) Low (no infrastructure investment)
Regulatory expertise Requires hiring specialists Included in the service
Legal risk You assume 100% of the risk Shared based on contract
Flexibility Locked into a fixed structure Scales as needed
Operational control Total Delegated (with visibility)
Regulatory updates Your responsibility Provider responsibility
Monthly fixed costs High (rent, salaries, systems) Variable based on volume
Best for Established operations, steady high volume, highly specific category Market entry, scaling, meaningful volume, multiple categories

What to Demand from a Third-Party IOR Provider

Not all third-party IORs are equal. Before contracting, validate:

1. Contract with Clear Responsibility Distribution

  • Tariff classification: Who determines it and who assumes risk if it's wrong?
  • NOM compliance: Does the IOR manage labeling, certificates, and validations?
  • Customs value: Who determines incremental items and how is it documented?
  • Returns and destruction: What happens if there are defective or unsold products?
  • Storage: Does the IOR include warehouse or is it a separate service?
  • Incidents: Who responds to detentions, fines, or requirements?

2. Complete Documentary Evidence and Access to Pedimentos

You must have access to:

  • Digital pedimentos with all annexes
  • Duty payment vouchers
  • Processed certificates and permits
  • Operation reports (imports per period, values, duties)

Without access to documentation, you can't validate compliance or defend yourself in an audit.

3. NOM and Labeling Compliance Procedure

The IOR must have documented processes to:

  • Determine applicable NOMs by classification
  • Design compliant labels
  • Coordinate labeling (origin vs Mexico)
  • Validate compliance before clearance
  • Manage regulatory changes

An IOR without NOM expertise exposes you to constant detentions.

4. Document Retention Policy and Audit Support

SAT can require import documentation up to 5 years later. The IOR must:

  • Maintain complete file for legal period
  • Have immediate availability to respond to requirements
  • Support you in case of audit or inspection
  • Have errors and omissions insurance policy

5. Integration Capability With Your Logistics Operation

If you need imported goods to flow directly to fulfillment and distribution, the ideal IOR should:

  • Coordinate reception at destination warehouse
  • Synchronize inventories in real-time
  • Automatically activate order preparation processes
  • Integrate with your ecommerce platforms

An IOR disconnected from your supply chain generates friction, delays, and additional coordination costs.

How to Select the Right IOR Provider for Your Operation

Choosing your IOR well is critical because it affects costs, speed, legal risk, and growth capacity. These are the factors to evaluate:

1. Verifiable Experience in Your Product Category

Importing cosmetics isn't the same as electronics, food, or textiles. Each category has:

  • Specific NOMs with technical nuances
  • Different regulatory authorities (COFEPRIS, PROFECO, SEMARNAT)
  • Particular compliance risks
  • Labeling and documentation best practices

Ask for success cases in your specific category and request verifiable references.

2. Technological Infrastructure and Real-Time Visibility

The IOR must offer you complete visibility through:

  • Control panel with status of each import
  • Integration with your systems (ERP, WMS, ecommerce)
  • Automatic notifications of critical events
  • Reporting on costs, times, and duties
  • Digital access to documentation

Without technology, you depend on emails and calls to know where your goods are or what you paid.

3. Transparent and Predictable Cost Structure

Demand that the IOR deliver detailed simulations with your real operation:

IOR costs:

  • Fee for IOR service (can be per operation or monthly)
  • Compliance management (NOMs, labeling, certificates)
  • Customs broker coordination

Customs costs:

  • Customs broker fees
  • Duties (IGI, VAT, DTA)
  • Preventions and validations
  • Amendments if applicable

Logistics costs:

  • International transportation
  • Port/airport handling
  • Temporary storage
  • Delivery to final destination

A professional IOR delivers "all-in" costs before you commit, without subsequent surprises.

4. Scaling Capability Without Provider Change

Your IOR must be able to grow with you from significant volumes to high-volume operation:

  • Infrastructure to handle multiple simultaneous imports
  • Multiple customs brokers and entry points
  • Scalable storage in strategic locations
  • Team that grows according to your demand
  • Technology that supports growing complexity

Changing IOR when you grow is costly and risky: you lose continuity, accumulated knowledge, and must restart processes.

5. Specialized Human Support and Resolution Capability

Beyond technology, you need expert people who:

  • Deeply know your operation and products
  • Resolve proactively before problems arise
  • Respond quickly to incidents (detentions, requirements)
  • Advise you on strategy (best routes, cost optimization)
  • Accompany expansion to new categories or markets

An IOR that only "processes" without advising leaves you alone facing critical decisions.

A Strategic Partner for Hassle-Free Importing: Cubbo's Value

Cubbo is not just an IOR provider: it's a strategic partner that solves import, warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution in an integrated way.

The fundamental difference is that Cubbo eliminates operational fragmentation that generates costs, delays, and risks:

Import + Fulfillment: The Only Model That Works for Growing Ecommerce

While other providers only offer IOR (and you still need to find warehouse, order preparation, and distribution), Cubbo integrates the entire chain:

  1. Import with IOR included: Cubbo acts as importer of record, manages classification, NOMs, clearance, and duties
  2. Reception at fulfillment centers: Goods arrive directly at Cubbo's network, without additional transfers
  3. Strategic storage: Inventory distributed in locations that optimize delivery times
  4. Automated order preparation: When an order comes in, it's processed automatically
  5. Ultra-fast distribution: Same-day in Mexico City and 1.3 days national average

Without Cubbo, you coordinate 5-6 different providers. With Cubbo, one partner solves everything.

Deep Expertise in Mexican Regulations

Cubbo's team includes foreign trade specialists with years of experience in:

  • Tariff classification for hundreds of product categories
  • NOM management in cosmetics, food, supplements, electronics, textiles
  • Duty optimization through treaty and regime leverage
  • Incident resolution with authorities (SAT, COFEPRIS, PROFECO)
  • Continuous updates on RGCE changes, registries, and new regulations

Cubbo has already imported for brands in your category: knows the risks, best practices, and how to avoid detentions.

Technology That Connects Import With Complete Operation

Cubbo's platform synchronizes import, inventories, and fulfillment in real-time:

  • Unified panel with visibility of in-transit imports, available inventory, orders in process
  • Native integrations with all ecommerce platforms (Shopify, VTEX, Mercado Libre, Amazon)
  • Pedimento automation: Data flows from commercial invoice to pedimento without manual entry
  • Proactive alerts: Notifications of status changes, documentation requirements, incidents
  • Complete reporting: Real costs per import, duties paid, clearance times, valued inventory

No friction, no manual coordination, no data entry errors.

Transparent Costs and Economies of Scale

Cubbo operates with consolidated volumes from hundreds of clients, which generates:

  • Competitive customs rates from negotiating power with brokers
  • Optimized duties from classification expertise and treaty leverage
  • Efficient logistics from cargo consolidation and optimized routes
  • No hidden costs: Everything included in transparent model

You pay less than operating on your own, and with superior quality.

Personalized Attention with Dedicated Account Manager

Each Cubbo client has a specialized account manager who:

  • Knows your business, products, seasonality, and goals
  • Coordinates your first import from scratch
  • Resolves incidents proactively
  • Continuously optimizes costs and times
  • Advises on expansion to new categories

You're not a ticket in a system: you're a partner with a name.

Why Cubbo Is the Best IOR Partner for Growing Businesses

Integrated Model vs Fragmented Providers

Other providers:

  • IOR that only clears
  • You need to find separate warehouse
  • You coordinate carrier for transfer
  • You hire fulfillment separately
  • You manage 4-5 invoices and providers

Cubbo:

  • IOR + warehouse + fulfillment + distribution in one service
  • One invoice, one contract, one point of contact
  • Smooth operation without inter-provider coordination

Speed That Generates Competitive Advantage

Other providers:

  • Standard clearance: 3-5 days
  • Transfer to warehouse: 1-2 days
  • Available for sale: 5-7 days after arrival

Cubbo:

  • Reception at own center: same day as clearance
  • Available for sale: 24-48 hours after arrival
  • Same-day in Mexico City from local inventory

You enter the market faster, rotate inventory more efficiently, generate more sales.

Proven Scalability with Leading Brands

Cubbo operates imports and fulfillment for high-volume brands in multiple categories:

  • Cosmetics and personal care
  • Supplements and sports nutrition
  • Electronics and technology
  • Fashion and accessories
  • Food and beverages
  • Home products

From significant volumes to tens of thousands of monthly orders, Cubbo's infrastructure scales without friction.

Compliance and Security That Protect Your Brand

Cubbo maintains:

  • Active Importers Registry in continuous compliance
  • Quality certifications in storage and handling
  • Insurance policies covering goods from arrival to delivery
  • Regular audits of processes and systems
  • Complete documentary backup available for inspections

Your brand is protected legally and operationally.

Continuous Improvement Based on Data

Cubbo's system learns and optimizes continuously:

  • Identifies demand patterns by SKU and region
  • Suggests optimal inventory distribution across centers
  • Detects cost reduction opportunities
  • Improves tariff classification based on accumulated experience
  • Optimizes clearance times by route and season

Each import improves the next one.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What's the difference between IOR and customs broker?

The IOR (Importer of Record) is the legal responsible party before authorities: must be in Importers Registry, pay duties, and respond to non-compliance.

The customs broker is the professional with a license who handles clearance on behalf of the importer: processes pedimentos, coordinates with customs, manages documentation.

The key difference: the customs broker works for the IOR, but the IOR remains the principal obligor. If something is wrong, the authority goes after the IOR, not just the broker.

How long does it take to get enabled as IOR in Mexico?

If you have to start from scratch (without RFC or Mexican structure), the typical process includes:

  1. Legal entity incorporation: 2-4 weeks
  2. RFC and e.firma registration: 1-2 weeks
  3. Importers Registry enrollment: 2-4 weeks
  4. Sector-specific registries (if applicable): 2-6 additional weeks
  5. Customs broker mandate: 1 week

Total: 2-4 months in the best scenario, assuming no rejections or additional documentation requirements.

With a specialized third-party IOR like Cubbo, you can start importing in 2-3 weeks.

What happens if my goods are detained at customs?

Detention can be due to:

  • Incomplete or inconsistent documentation
  • Declared value that the authority considers low
  • Lack of NOM permits or certificates
  • Goods subject to random inspection
  • Questioned tariff classification

Typical process:

  1. Detention notification to customs broker
  2. Request for documentation or clarifications
  3. Response within deadline (typically 10 business days)
  4. Resolution: release, payment of differences, or confiscation

With Cubbo, your account manager handles the complete incident: coordinates with customs broker, prepares supporting documentation, follows up with authority, and resolves as quickly as possible to minimize storage and delays.

How is customs value determined and why is it so important?

Customs value is the base for calculating IGI and VAT. It's determined through:

Transaction value:

  • Price actually paid or payable according to commercial invoice

Plus incremental items:

  • Transportation expenses to port/airport of entry
  • Loading, unloading, and handling charges
  • Insurance (if not included)
  • Sales commissions (if applicable)
  • Containers and packaging
  • Technical assistance or related engineering
  • Royalties or licenses (if they condition the sale)

Minus deductible items:

  • Post-clearance expenses (if distinguished)
  • Financing interest (if separated)

It's critical because:

  • Declaring low value without support: fines, presumptive determination, audit
  • Declaring unnecessarily high value: you pay more IGI and VAT than due
  • Poorly constructed value: costly amendments and lost time

Cubbo documents customs value correctly from the start, with complete support to withstand any review.

What NOMs apply to my product and how do I comply?

Depends on category:

Cosmetics:

  • NOM-141 (labeling)
  • NOM-259 (good manufacturing practices)

Processed foods:

  • NOM-051 (nutritional and front labeling)
  • NOM-002 or NOM-009 depending on type
  • COFEPRIS permits if applicable

Supplements:

  • NOM-051 + sanitary notices
  • Specific labeling of active ingredients

Electronics:

  • NOM-001 (electrical safety)
  • NOM-024 (commercial information)
  • Approved laboratory certificates

Compliance can be achieved:

  1. At origin: Product arrives labeled and certified (ideal but complex to coordinate)
  2. In Mexico before commercialization: Labeling in warehouse or bonded facility
  3. Through UVA: Approved Verification Unit validates compliance

Cubbo has NOM expertise in multiple categories and manages compliance as part of IOR service.

When should I use third-party IOR vs set up own structure?

Use third-party IOR (like Cubbo) if:

  • You're a foreign brand without entity in Mexico
  • You have significant volume that justifies complete fulfillment (200+ monthly orders)
  • You want to focus on sales and marketing, not logistics
  • You need speed to enter market (2-3 weeks vs 2-4 months)
  • Your products have regulatory complexity (NOMs, permits)
  • You seek complete integration of import + fulfillment + distribution

Set up own structure if:

  • You already have established Mexican entity with local team
  • You have internal foreign trade and regulatory compliance expertise
  • You operate in niche with very specific regulations requiring total control
  • Volume justifies dedicated import team (large teams with dozens of monthly imports)

For most growing brands, a specialized third-party IOR reduces risk, accelerates time to market, and frees resources for higher-value activities.

What documentation must I keep and for how long?

As IOR (or third-party IOR user), you must keep for 5 years:

Customs documents:

  • Complete pedimentos with annexes
  • Commercial invoices
  • Packing lists
  • Transport documents
  • Duty payment vouchers

Value documents:

  • Contracts with suppliers
  • Payment evidence (transfers, letters of credit)
  • Incoterms and sales terms
  • Incremental item documentation

Compliance documents:

  • Origin certificates
  • Permits and authorizations
  • NOM certificates
  • Electronic Value Declaration (MVE)

Internal documents:

  • Inventory controls
  • Pedimento vs inventory reconciliations
  • Incident and resolution reports

Cubbo keeps all this documentation digitally, organized and immediately available to respond to requirements or audits.

If your brand is ready to import to Mexico with speed, compliance, and zero risks, talk to a Cubbo specialist and discover why we're the best IOR partner for growing businesses looking for more than simple customs clearance.

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