US to Mexico Shipping Overview Mexico is the United States' third-largest trading partner and a growing e-commerce market. The USMCA trade agreement provides significant duty advantages for qualifying goods.
USMCA Benefits
Duty-Free Treatment
Under USMCA, many US-origin products qualify for 0% duty:
Requirement Description Origin Manufactured in US, Mexico, or Canada Documentation Certificate of origin HS code Product properly classified Rules of origin Meet specific criteria
Products with Duty Benefits
Category Standard Duty USMCA Duty Electronics 10-20% 0% Machinery 5-15% 0% Textiles 15-35% 0% (if qualifying) Auto parts 5-20% 0% Consumer goods 10-30% 0% (if qualifying)
Mexican Tax Structure
IVA (Value Added Tax)
Standard Rate 16% Border regions 8% (some areas) Exempt items Food, medicine, books
De Minimis Threshold
Value Treatment Under $50 USD Usually no duties/IVA $50-$1,000 USD Simplified clearance Over $1,000 USD Formal customs entry
Carrier Rate Comparison
Standard Shipping (1-5 lbs)
Weight USPS Priority Intl UPS Standard FedEx Economy DHL Express 1 lb $32.80 $28.50 $26.80 $38.50 2 lbs $38.50 $32.80 $30.50 $44.20 3 lbs $44.20 $38.20 $35.80 $50.80 5 lbs $52.80 $48.50 $45.20 $62.50
Economy Options
Weight USPS First-Class Intl DHL eCommerce UPS SurePost Intl 1 lb $15.50 $12.80 $14.20 2 lbs $18.80 $15.40 $17.50 5 lbs $28.50 $22.80 $26.40
Atoship Commercial Rates
Weight USPS via Atoship UPS via Atoship FedEx via Atoship 1 lb $26.20 $18.80 $18.20 2 lbs $30.80 $22.50 $21.80 5 lbs $42.40 $34.20 $32.80
Transit Time Comparison
Service Transit Time Tracking Coverage USPS First-Class Intl 7-21 days Limited Full Mexico USPS Priority Intl 6-10 days Full Full Mexico UPS Standard 4-7 days Full Major cities UPS Expedited 2-4 days Full Major cities FedEx Economy 4-7 days Full Major cities FedEx Priority 2-3 days Full Major cities DHL Express 2-4 days Full Full Mexico
Customs Documentation
Required Documents
Document Purpose Commercial invoice Customs valuation Packing list Contents verification USMCA certificate Duty-free claim RFC (if B2B) Mexican tax ID
USMCA Certificate of Origin
To claim duty benefits:
Complete USMCA certificate
Maintain supporting records
Provide to customs broker
Keep records for 5 years
Last-Mile Delivery Considerations
Urban Areas (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey)
Factor Status UPS/FedEx delivery Reliable Address accuracy Good Delivery speed Standard Security Generally safe
Rural Areas
Factor Status Carrier coverage Limited Delivery time Extended Address accuracy Challenging Alternative Collect at station
Mexico addresses follow a specific format:
Example:
Name
Street + Number, Interior Number
Colonia (Neighborhood)
Postal Code, City, State
Mexico
Payment and Duties Collection
DDP (Delivered Duties Paid)
Carrier DDP Available UPS Yes FedEx Yes DHL Yes USPS No
DDU (Customer Pays)
Process Description Package arrives Customs holds Customer notified Pay duties/IVA Payment made Package released Delivery Final delivery
Restricted and Prohibited Items
Prohibited
Item Status Weapons Prohibited Drugs Prohibited Used clothing (commercial) Prohibited Pirated goods Prohibited
Restricted (Permit Required)
Item Requirement Food products SENASICA permit Cosmetics COFEPRIS registration Electronics NOM certification Textiles (commercial) Import license
Return Handling
Method Cost Transit Correos de México $15-$30 10-21 days UPS Return $25-$45 5-10 days FedEx Return $28-$48 5-10 days
Return Recommendations
Value Strategy < $25 Refund without return $25-$75 Customer pays return > $75 Prepaid label
Cross-Border Fulfillment Options
Option 1: Ship from US
Pros Cons Single inventory Longer transit Simple operations Customs on each order Lower investment Higher per-order cost
Option 2: Mexico Warehouse
Pros Cons Faster delivery Inventory split No import duties per order Setup complexity Local returns Higher fixed costs
Option 3: Border Fulfillment
Pros Cons Compromise approach Limited to border regions Faster than full US Not nationwide Some duty benefits Logistics complexity
Carrier Recommendations by Scenario
Budget Shipping
DHL eCommerce via Atoship
Best rates for economy
8-15 day delivery
Good for non-urgent orders
Standard Shipping
UPS Standard or FedEx Economy
4-7 day delivery
Reliable tracking
Good urban coverage
Express Shipping
DHL Express or FedEx Priority
2-4 day delivery
Full tracking
Nationwide coverage
Atoship Mexico Features
USMCA documentation support : Certificate generationMulti-carrier comparison : All major carriersCommercial rates : 25-40% savingsCustoms guidance : Proper classificationDDP options : Pre-pay dutiesStart Shipping to Mexico Create your Atoship account for commercial Mexico shipping rates with USMCA benefits.
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