How do you plan your first 90 days of selling in Mexico?
Split the first 90 days into three blocks. In weeks 1 to 4, check compliance and pick a channel: tariff code and duty, NOM needs, NOM-050 label basics and who will import. In weeks 5 to 8, localize and price: Spanish listings, a peso price with taxes included, Spanish customer service, and warranty and returns basics. In weeks 9 to 13, launch small, advertise on the marketplace, use WhatsApp for customer contact, measure and decide. The checklists below are a template, not legal advice.
What does the 90-day plan look like at a glance?
Use this as a template and fill each cell with your partners. The weeks are a frame, not a promise: shipping and certification times vary by product, so build in buffers.
| Block | Weeks | Goal | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check | 1–4 | Know you can sell legally and profitably | Tariff code, duty, NOM answer and label draft on file; importer and channel chosen |
| Localize | 5–8 | Be ready to sell in Spanish | Listings, peso price with taxes, service channel and warranty policy ready |
| Launch | 9–13 | Prove demand and decide | Pilot sold, ads and messaging tested, day-90 decision recorded with numbers |
A licensed broker and a NOM lab do the compliance work in the first block, you or a Spanish-language partner write the listings and service scripts in the second, and you run the pilot in the third. Xin Puente connects you with the licensed partners and coordinates with them in Chinese. Do not ship until the NOM answer, the label and the importer are settled.
Weeks 1 to 4: what must you check before shipping?
NOM-050 applies to products for consumers that no more specific NOM covers, and the Secretaría de Economía record shows it as in force (SE record). Its section 5.2 sets the label content; the steps below summarize it in our own words.
Confirm the tariff code and duty
A licensed broker confirms the 8-digit code; read the rate in our tariff lookup. Anti-dumping duties are published as resolutions in the DOF, so ask the broker to check your product and origin.
Ask whether a NOM applies
Some NOMs need a certificate from an accredited body that must travel with the import documents. The Secretaría de Economía lists in the DOF, by tariff code, the products that must show NOM compliance at the point of entry (U.S. Commercial Service); that list was amended on 28 September 2026 (TaxToday). Use a lab or certifier accredited by the EMA, the accreditation entity the same source names.
Draft the Spanish label
NOM-050 asks for the product name if it is not obvious, the quantity, the name and tax address of the maker or importer (the importer’s may be added in Mexico after customs clearance and before sale), a country-of-origin legend such as “Hecho en China”, hazard warnings, use instructions and an expiry date where relevant. Manuals and warranties must be in Spanish too (NOM-050-SCFI-2004).
Choose the import route
Your own Mexican company, a licensed importer-of-record provider or a marketplace program; see how to start selling in Mexico.
Pick the first channel
Compare the requirements in where to sell in Mexico and read the official seller pages.
Weeks 5 to 8: how do you localize and price?
Under the consumer protection law (LFPC), labels, product data and advertising must be in Spanish and the price in pesos. Imported products must state their origin, where they can be repaired, instructions and warranties; the displayed total must include taxes, commissions and other charges; and advertising must be truthful and verifiable (arts. 7 Bis and 32 to 34; LFPC). AMVO finds that precise descriptions, user reviews and order tracking weigh most in online purchase decisions (AMVO). Buyers also value choosing the delivery location and paying digitally, and home delivery remains the main method (AMVO). Price from landed cost (pricing guide) and divide the shelf price by 1.16 to see what you keep before VAT.
Online sellers must give the consumer their physical address and contact details before the transaction, and respect a consumer’s wish not to receive commercial notices (art. 76 Bis). Staff a Spanish-language channel before launch.
If you offer a warranty it cannot be shorter than 90 days from delivery, must be written with its scope, duration, claim address and service points, and can be claimed against the producer, the importer or the distributor unless one of them assumes it in writing (arts. 77 to 79). Article 56 gives consumers five business days to revoke certain off-premises or indirect sales; ask a lawyer how it applies to your channel and to the marketplace’s own return rules.
Plan for returns: in AMVO’s panel 22% of digital buyers had returned a product in the last 12 months, and among them 28% named fashion, 12% auto parts and 9% toys (AMVO).
Weeks 9 to 13: how do you launch and advertise?
Launch on one marketplace with a small first batch you can afford to lose, and keep every number. Advertising is part of the platforms: Mercado Libre reported advertising revenue up 62% in constant currency and a share above 10% of Latin America’s digital ad market (8-K), and Amazon’s Mexican seller page lists advertising credits and Amazon Ads among its programs (Amazon México). The platforms’ own pages set minimum budgets and rules, so we give no figures.
Our suggestion: start with the products with the best margin after landed cost, set a daily cap before you begin, and track ad spend against the sales the ads brought. Seasonal campaigns matter too: AMVO’s Hot Sale, which it calls the country’s largest online sales campaign, ran from 25 May to 2 June 2026, so check the next dates before you plan stock (Hot Sale).
Go live with a small range
List only products whose landed cost, label and importer are settled.
Set the ad cap and the review date
Choose a daily cap and a weekly check before the first click.
Open the Spanish contact channel
Marketplace messages first, then a WhatsApp Business number with the opt-in rules in place.
Brief the creators
A visible disclosure label, claims you can prove and no warranty promises beyond your written policy.
Why is WhatsApp central to customer contact in Mexico?
INEGI found that 90.6% of smartphone users used instant-messaging apps in 2024, without naming the app (INEGI). A June 2024 Milenio article, based on an interview with Meta’s vice president for Latin America, says 92.2% of Mexico’s population uses WhatsApp, with data it does not name (Milenio). Treat both as strong signals, not precise counts.
WhatsApp’s policy requires the recipient’s explicit opt-in before a business contacts them, and outside the 24-hour customer-service window you may send only approved templates (WhatsApp Business policy). Meta charges per delivered template message by category, may open a free window of up to 7 days when a user starts a chat from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, bills in Mexican pesos since 1 January 2026, and changes prices only on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October; Mexico’s rates are in its rate card. Each business number also gets 1,000 free service messages a month, and charging for service messages above that restarted on 1 October 2026 (Meta).
Which social platforms and influencers reach Mexican buyers?
| Platform | Ad reach (millions) |
|---|---|
| TikTok (adults 18+) | 99.0 |
| 93.5 | |
| YouTube | 85.0 |
| Messenger | 54.6 |
| 53.6 | |
| 29.0 | |
| 28.5 | |
| X | 16.4 |
| Snapchat | 14.8 |
DataReportal stresses that these figures come from the platforms’ advertising tools and may count people more than once (DataReportal). Pick one or two platforms where your buyers are: AMVO finds social networks lead search engines as the information source, above all for ages 18 to 24 (AMVO).
For influencers, PROFECO’s guide treats any recommendation of a product as advertising, including content made in return for free products or invitations. It recommends a disclosure that is visible throughout, not only at the end, labels such as #Publicidad or #PublicidadPagada, saying it aloud in audio, and opinions limited to personal experience (PROFECO guide, press release). The guide gives recommendations, and the law itself requires truthful, verifiable advertising (LFPC art. 32). Put both into your influencer brief.
How do you measure results and decide on day 90?
Landed cost per unit against plan
Recalculate with real freight, duty and fees.
Conversion and ad cost per sale
From the marketplace and ad reports.
Return rate and reasons
Compare with the AMVO figures above.
First-response time
In WhatsApp and marketplace messages.
Review score and count
And what buyers ask before they buy.
Stock-outs and delivery times
Each one costs sales and reviews.
Write before launch what result means scale up, change the price or stop, and record the day-90 decision with the numbers. Start with the free assessment; Xin Puente connects you with licensed partners and helps you market and sell, while the partners do the regulated work and you pay them directly.
Verified 20 Oct 2026 against: NOM-050-SCFI-2004 (DOF), SE / PLATIICA, Ley Federal de Protección al Consumidor, INEGI (ENDUTIH 2024), WhatsApp Business policy, Meta: WhatsApp pricing, DataReportal: Digital 2026 Mexico, PROFECO influencer guide (DOF), AMVO: Estudio de Venta Online 2026, Mercado Libre / SEC.
Frequently asked questions
What should a Spanish product label include?
Under NOM-050-SCFI-2004: the product name if it is not obvious, the quantity, the maker’s or importer’s name and tax address, a country-of-origin legend, hazard warnings, use instructions and an expiry date where relevant, all in Spanish (official text). A more specific NOM, if one applies, takes precedence.
How long must a warranty last in Mexico?
If you offer a warranty, it cannot be shorter than 90 days from delivery, and it can be claimed against the producer, the importer or the distributor unless one of them assumes it in writing (LFPC arts. 77 and 79).
Can I message customers on WhatsApp whenever I want?
No. WhatsApp requires the person’s explicit opt-in, and outside the 24-hour customer-service window you can send only approved templates (WhatsApp Business policy). Meta charges per delivered template message (Meta).
Do I have to label influencer posts as advertising?
PROFECO’s guide treats any product recommendation as advertising and recommends visible labels such as #Publicidad, including when the payment is free products (PROFECO guide). Advertising must also be truthful and verifiable under the consumer law.
Which social platform should I start with?
Choose one or two where your buyers are. DataReportal shows TikTok, Facebook and YouTube with the largest ad reach in Mexico, but these are advertising figures, not unique users (DataReportal).
Sources
- Secretaría de Economía / DOF (via SIDOF): NOM-050-SCFI-2004, Información comercial - Etiquetado general de productos (published 1 Jun 2004)
- Secretaría de Economía, PLATIICA: NOM-050-SCFI-2004 record (status Vigente; systematic review of 11 Jun 2024 confirmed it)
- Cámara de Diputados: Ley Federal de Protección al Consumidor, texto vigente (last reform DOF 12 Dec 2025): arts. 7 Bis, 32-35, 56, 76 Bis, 77-79
- INEGI: Encuesta Nacional sobre Disponibilidad y Uso de Tecnologías de la Información en los Hogares (ENDUTIH) 2024, results report of 6 May 2025
- WhatsApp Business: Política comercial / Business Messaging Policy (opt-in, 24-hour window, templates)
- DataReportal / Kepios: Digital 2026, Mexico (Simon Kemp, 8 Nov 2025; platform advertising-reach figures for late 2025)
- PROFECO: Guía de Publicidad para Influencers (published in the DOF, 21 Aug 2023)
- Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF): official gazette, searchable by date and keyword (anti-dumping resolutions, NOM annex, SAT rules)
- U.S. Commercial Service (trade.gov): Mexico Country Commercial Guide, Trade Standards (last published 11 Feb 2026)
- TaxToday México: Actualizan mercancías sujetas al cumplimiento de NOM en importaciones (28 Sep 2026)
- AMVO (Asociación Mexicana de Venta Online) with Netquest: Estudio de Venta Online 2026, public version (online panel, 1,132 buyers aged 18+)
- Mercado Libre, Inc.: Form 8-K, Q2 2026 shareholder letter (SEC filing, 5 Aug 2026)
- Amazon México: Vende en Amazon México (official seller page: fees, documents, programs; read 20 Oct 2026)
- Hot Sale (AMVO online sales campaign): 2026 edition, 25 May to 2 June 2026
- Milenio: México, segundo mercado más importante de AL para WhatsApp Business (7 Jun 2024)
- Meta for Developers: WhatsApp Business Platform pricing (per-message pricing, free entry point, rate cards; read 20 Oct 2026)
- PROFECO press release of 22 Aug 2023: PROFECO issues its advertising guide for influencers
Rules and figures change. Before you decide, check the official sources and confirm with a licensed professional.
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