Forums > Specific Focus > Home, Garden & Construction in Mexico

dleach

Dec 13, 2006, 10:35 AM

Post #1 of 11 (2882 views)

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Customs %

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I hope to start building prtetty soon and there are certain items I can get substatially cheaper NOB. What generally is the aduana percentage when I declare these items? I thought it was 15%, but also saw mention to it depending on where the item was made. What could the range be?

Would someone please educate me? (I promise I've been trying to find this out before bothering y'al with this question).

Thanks

David

Rolly / Moderator

Dec 13, 2006, 12:45 PM

Post #2 of 11 (2866 views)

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Re: [dleach] Customs %

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That's a hard one. From what I hear (and my own experience several years ago), small amounts are taxed a flat rate of about 17%. When you have more that 1,000 dollars worth, you will be required to have a broker, and then the country of origin rule comes into play.

Of course, there is always the luck-of-the-draw factor.

Rolly Pirate

dleach

Dec 14, 2006, 7:40 AM

Post #3 of 11 (2833 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Customs %

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Thanks very much Rolly.

punta4

Dec 19, 2006, 11:16 PM

Post #4 of 11 (2793 views)

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Re: [dleach] Customs %

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Import duty has come down to 15% for items manufactured in NAFTA countries. As I understand it, the jist of NAFTA is that the import tax will continue to drop over time for items passing between member countries. We paid 17% tax in May of this year, and only 15% in August.

Non-NAFTA imports (China etc) is 25% +.

When you are driving in to Mexico and have an FMT (tourist card), you are allowed $50 worth of items tax free per person and you can bring in $1000 worth of goods per vehicle without the need for a broker.

Items totalling $1000-5000 require a broker be used and you must enter through a "commercial "port of entry.

If your load is over $5000, it's considered a "commericial" importation. The disadvantage of this is that every single item in your vehicle is consider a part of the load and is subject to tax. This means that if you're bringing in items and taking a vacation, your toothpaste, kayaks, and other tourist items that would normally leave the country with you may be liable for the tax.

Bloviator

Dec 20, 2006, 5:27 AM

Post #5 of 11 (2787 views)

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Re: [punta4] Customs %

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Thanks for the good information. What about traveling with an FM3. Are the limits the same?

Rolly / Moderator

Dec 20, 2006, 5:51 AM

Post #6 of 11 (2786 views)

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Re: [dlyman6500] Customs %

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The limits are the same with an FM3, but aduana is often more forgiving with FM3 folks, or so I have heard.

Rolly Pirate

dleach

Dec 20, 2006, 6:39 AM

Post #7 of 11 (2779 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Customs %

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How does one go about obtaining a broker? Should I go to local movers (i.e. here at Lakeside) and ask for their suggestions... Or would they be listed in the Laredo Yellow Pages (assuming I went through Laredo)?

Does anyone know the additonal time time required working with a broker or what the broker's charges run?

Sorry to show my abundant ignorance but I'd be stupid not to.

Thanks again.

David

esperanza

Dec 20, 2006, 7:51 AM

Post #8 of 11 (2770 views)

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Re: [dleach] Customs %

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Generally speaking, a customs broker will not work with anyone bringing a small load across the border--that would be a load in a pickup truck, a small trailer you're pulling behind your vehicle, etc. It's not that you don't need a broker; it's that the brokers have so much huge business (53-foot semis by the zillion) that they don't know how to work with us little people.

My experience was that back then I didn't know any better and finally found a broker in El Paso who reluctantly worked with me to bring my little van-load of household goods across at Ciudad Juárez. When I asked him how much his charge was, he scratched his head and hemmed and hawed about it. Finally he said, "I'll send you a bill." Okay. That was nearly eight years ago; I'm still waiting.

I think your best bet is to call one of the local Lakeside movers for assistance.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

patricio_lintz

Dec 20, 2006, 8:53 PM

Post #9 of 11 (2740 views)

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Re: [dleach] Customs %

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$279 USD for a pickup load when I came in thru Nogales in 2004. This was at the Aduana checkpoint where they have a customs agent.

Skip the FM3 for a pick up load. pay the 17% tax. It's cheaper. many of your items will be duty free. Check the forums for more information. List thw duty free items as zero. List all other items as garage sale prices.

www.makeyourhomeinmexico.com

Bloviator

Dec 21, 2006, 6:10 AM

Post #10 of 11 (2729 views)

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Re: [patricio_lintz] Customs %

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We went through Mexicali on a very cold December day, having forgotten to prepare a list of what we had in our packed SUV. The officials just gave us a "stupid gringos" look and very kindly sent us on our way. We were most appreciative. They may have just not wanted to go out in the cold to check our load, but I prefer to think they were being nice to us.

punta4

Dec 21, 2006, 6:33 PM

Post #11 of 11 (2699 views)

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Re: [dleach] Customs %

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In Reply To

How does one go about obtaining a broker? Does anyone know the additonal time time required working with a broker or what the broker's charges run?

My only customs broker experience has been when crossing from Calif to Baja in the Tijuana area. The "commercial" port of entry in this area is called Otay Mesa. Even though it's called the commercial port, you won't be in line with the big rigs hauling trailer's full of goods. The trucks enter throught the border a few miles away and I'd imagine other crossings have the same set up.

At Otay Mesa in the Aduana parking area there are about 6 offices of customs brokers. We hadn't even gotten out of our truck before a guy approached us and asked if we would be needing a broker. He worked for one of the brokers and provided invaluable assistance by guiding us through the various stages. I gave him my list of items and receipts for the stuff we were bringing in (solar electric system components -panels, batteries etc- for a house) and he took an inventory of the stuff and submitted it to his office. The broker spent about 3 hours itemizing everything and veryfying prices and country of origin info.

It took about 20 min. to pay the import duty and another 2 hours of waiting for our trailer to be inspected since there was a group of about 30 vehicles waiting in the inspection area (it seemed like all the inspectors went to lunch at the same time). Total time spent was about 5 hours at this busy border crossing.

I believe the broker's fee was about 10% of the value of the load. Our "Rep" from the parking lot helped by "overlooking" some of the items in our tRailer on the inventory list, and he stuck with us all the way thru to the inspection where he told us "let me handle this". He flung the doors of our trailer open when the inpectors approached, and told them "they have this, this, and this" and slammed the doors closed before the guys knew what hit them, and signaled for us to get in the truck and start the engine. Somehow it worked and we gave him a very generous tip. Without his assistance, this may have taken another couple of hours while we figured out what to do next.