FAIRS Country Report Annual - Intellectual Property and Import Procedures
Report Number: MX2025-0049 Date: December 02, 2025 Country: Mexico Prepared By: USDA FAS Foreign Agricultural Service Source: [USDA GAIN Report](https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=FAIRS+Country+Report+Annual_Monterrey+ATO_Mexico_MX2025-0049.pdf)
Intellectual Property and Import Procedures
Agricultural Trade Office with intellectual property concerns. Section IX. Import Procedures Mexican customs brokers are responsible for clearing imported products through Mexican customs. Mexican importers are encouraged to work with a customs broker experienced in clearing agricultural products to avoid problems during the export-import process. The Mexican Internal Tax Registry (Servicio de Administración Tributaria) authorizes brokers to handle customs clearance operations. Mexican importers must also register with the Mexican Customs Authority; registered companies appear in its Importers' Database (Padrón de Importadores). The documentation that a Mexican customs broker needs to clear shipments include: Commercial Invoice or Bill of Sale Required Sanitary and Phytosanitary Certificates (issued either by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) or the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), or any other relevant U.S. government regulatory authorities Certificate of Origin Technical information on product classification (tariff code, which complies with the uniform customs identification system under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) Commercial information regarding lot (batch) number, brand, and product appearance in addition to weight and volume certificate (for bulk products) Air or land freight shipping guide
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Duty payments (please check this with your importer)
Finally, customs brokers will process an Import Declaration (Pedimento de Importación) based on the provided information. Other documentation required in the export process could include: Electronic filing - Electronic Export Information (EEI) (Required by U.S. Customs for all shipments over USD 2,500.00) USDA Export Certificate accompanied by corresponding Letterhead Certificate Free Sale Certificate Export Packing List Bill of Lading As previously noted, certain products require an import permit from COFEPRIS and must include a certificate of analysis. See Section VII for more details. The Mexican importer is responsible for notifying the U.S. exporter about sanitary and other requirements before shipment. The notification enables the U.S. exporter to meet all requirements (e.g., AMS, APHIS, and FSIS certification). For information on certificates issued by U.S. government agencies, visit USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service database and read the most recent Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Certificates Report for Mexico. The documents mentioned are subject to specific regulations, so please look for specific product requirements by tariff code before exporting the products into Mexico. Additionally, it is essential to know your product's tariff code to check if tariffs apply or under commodity-specific tariff rate quotas. If tariffs apply, knowledge will reduce delivery time, storage fees, and food decay, resulting in increased margins.
Source
USDA GAIN (Global Agricultural Information Network) Original source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
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*Last updated: 2026-07-18*