What does door-to-door, duties-paid shipping to Mexico mean, and how do you compare quotes?

What does door-to-door duties-paid shipping to Mexico mean?

The phrase (双清包税 in Chinese) is commonly described by forwarders as a package (it varies by company): they collect the goods in China, handle export clearance, move them to Mexico, clear them through Mexican customs, pay the import taxes on your behalf and deliver to your address. It is a sales description. We found no definition of it in the Ley Aduanera or in the ANAM glossary, so what a given quote actually covers is only what it says in writing.

Two things follow. First, the legal duties before Mexican customs come from the statute, not from the quote: the Ley Aduanera binds those who bring goods in, whether they are owners, holders, consignees, recipients, attorneys-in-fact or customs brokers (art. 1). Second, a trade term in the quote (a three-letter code such as those in the ICC's Incoterms, eleven terms for sale contracts, the 2020 edition being the latest the ICC page lists) is an agreement between seller and buyer (ICC). It does not by itself tell you who is named as importer on the Mexican declaration, so ask.

This guide is general information. It is not customs, tax or legal advice: the decisions below are confirmed by a licensed Mexican customs broker or lawyer, and Xin Puente is a connector, not the licensed party.

Who answers before Mexican customs on a duties-paid shipment?

ANAM's list of what an import needs is short: a current RFC, a customs broker, identification of the product's tariff fraction, registration in the Padrón de Importadores (and the sector-specific padrón where it applies) and compliance with tariff and non-tariff regulations (ANAM). The SAT page for the padrón says the filing is made online by anyone who wants to import, needs no documents, and lists conditions that include an active RFC, a valid e.firma, up-to-date tax obligations, a validated tax mailbox and having a customs broker, attorney-in-fact or legal representative who will carry out the operations (SAT).

The customs broker (agente aduanal) is an individual authorized by a patent to handle clearance on behalf of others (art. 159; ANAM glossary). The statute makes the broker responsible for the truth and accuracy of the data supplied, the correct payment of contributions, the customs regime, the tariff classification and checking that the importer holds the documents for the regulations that apply, and also makes the broker jointly liable for the taxes, as it does a customs brokerage firm (agencia aduanal) (arts. 53, 54). For imports cleared on a pedimento, the importer, for its part, hands the broker a value declaration made under oath, keeps the evidence of how the value was set and keeps an electronic file for each customs declaration (art. 59, III and V). Art. 59 does not apply to shipments cleared by courier companies under the simplified procedure of arts. 88 and 88 bis, where taxes follow a factor the Ministry publishes (arts. 59 last paragraph, 88 bis); ask which route the quote uses.

Companies can also clear goods without a broker, through a legal representative who must be an individual of Mexican nationality, in an employment relationship with the importer and with customs experience or knowledge (art. 40). Whether that suits your case is a question for the broker.

One point we could not settle: whether it is acceptable for a forwarder to use its own RFC as importer for goods that belong to you. We found no official statement on it, so do not accept or reject it from a quote: ask a licensed customs broker which party will be named as importer and what that implies for you.

How are Mexican import taxes built, so quotes add up?

The taxes on a definitive import are formula-driven, which is useful for comparing quotes. The duty (IGI) is charged on the customs value; that value is normally the transaction price, to which the law adds items the importer bears and that are not already in the price, including commissions and brokerage fees (buying commissions excepted), packing and the transport, insurance and related handling costs incurred up to the point where the goods enter the country (arts. 64, 65). In the general case the customs-processing fee is 8 per thousand of the value used for the duty (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 49, I); special regimes have other rates. IVA is 16% (Ley del IVA art. 1), and on imports it is calculated on that value plus the duty and the other contributions payable (art. 27).

The real duty rate depends on the tariff fraction, so look it up with our tariff lookup and read the 2026 tariff guide; the landed-cost calculator applies the same formula. Other contributions, such as countervailing duties where they exist, would be added. If a quote's tax line differs greatly from this arithmetic, ask what value and rate will be declared and on what documents.

What should a duties-paid quote itemize before you sign?

A quote you can compare shows, line by line, what is included. We found no official model of a quote, so the list below is a set of questions drawn from the statutes above, not a legal requirement.

1. Who is the named importer?

   Ask for the legal name and RFC that will appear as importer, and whether a customs broker or a legal representative will handle the clearance (arts. 40, 59).

2. Which broker, and who checks the classification?

   Ask for the broker's name and patent number and who proposes the tariff fraction. The broker answers for the classification, but the importer supplies the product facts (art. 54); see our guide on HS codes.

3. What customs value will be declared, and on what papers?

   Ask which invoice and payment records the value rests on and whether freight and insurance are added as the law requires (arts. 59, III, 65).

4. Are duty, customs fee and IVA shown as separate lines?

   Ask for each tax on its own line, with the rate used, so you can check it against the formulas above (LFD art. 49; LIVA art. 27).

5. What is excluded?

   Ask in writing about storage, inspection or re-work, document corrections, rejected cargo, non-tariff requirements such as product standards (see our NOM guide) and delivery beyond the first Mexican stop.

6. What happens if customs asks for more?

   Ask who pays and who responds if the authority questions the value or classification, and keep the electronic file the importer must hold (art. 59, V).

Which warning signs make a low quote risky?

A low total is not a warning sign by itself, but some patterns deserve a pause. No tax line at all, or a figure far below the arithmetic for your product, may mean a different value or rate is assumed. A quote that does not name the importer or the customs broker leaves open who carries the obligations the statute assigns. The wording "all-in" without a list of exclusions leaves the risk with you. A request to sign or supply documents you have not read, including a power of attorney or an engagement for the broker, is another reason to ask a professional first.

The statute provides for a document proving the engagement given to the broker, which goes to the SAT with the Padrón de Importadores paperwork unless the importer uses the electronic means the SAT sets (art. 59, III). The Ley Aduanera sets infractions and fines (arts. 176 ff.; e.g. 130% to 150% of omitted taxes, art. 178 I; arts. 176, 178); ask the broker to explain the consequences in writing.

You can also check what the forwarder is. A forwarder is usually a commercial company, while a customs broker holds a patent from the authority (art. 159); some companies offer both. Our guide on checking Mexican professionals covers how to verify a licensed partner.

How can you compare quotes and move forward safely?

Put the quotes side by side on the same lines: named importer, broker, declared value, each tax, exclusions, delivery point, and who handles a customs query. Convert any quote that gives only an all-in figure into the same lines by asking the supplier to fill the table above. Treat a quote that will not itemize as a different product, not as a cheaper one. We do not publish prices for forwarding and found no official price index, so any comparison rests on the quotes you collect.

Xin Puente connects Chinese companies with independent licensed Mexican partners, including customs brokers, and coordinates in Chinese; we are not a customs broker, forwarder, law firm or tax adviser, and you contract and pay the licensed professionals directly. If you would like to see which route fits your product before you ask for quotes, the free assessment is a no-pressure place to start.

Sources

• Cámara de Diputados: Ley Aduanera (texto vigente, última reforma DOF 19-11-2025)
• Cámara de Diputados: Ley del Impuesto al Valor Agregado (texto consultado 2026-10-26, última reforma DOF 12-11-2021, arts. 1 y 27)
• Cámara de Diputados: Ley Federal de Derechos (texto vigente, última reforma DOF 07-11-2025), art. 49
• SAT: Padrón de Importadores, inscripción (quién lo presenta, requisitos y condiciones)
• ANAM: Preguntas frecuentes (requisitos para realizar una importación)
• ANAM: Glosario (pedimento, agente aduanal, apoderado aduanal)
• ICC (Cámara de Comercio Internacional): Incoterms® rules

Rules and figures change. Before you decide, check the official sources and confirm with a licensed professional.

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