What cars can be imported?

[senior kentie]

Are there restrictions on which makes and years of cars (in the 15 to 25 year range) that can be imported? Any special paperwork or fees involved? Thanks.

[snowyco]

See Intercasa's good post on this.

Car Importation Update December 2014

Here's a quote from the post:
“What vehicles can be imported:
- Used NAFTA cars (and non-dually pickups): VIN shows they were made or assembled in Mexico, the USA or Canada.
- 8 to 9 year old cars.
- Vehicles whose rights are restricted or prohibited from being driven in their home country are prohibited from importation."

See Spencer's post for the rest of the details.

If it is an American-titled car, the Mexican government also requires that the vehicle be formally exported from the USA following Homeland Security - CBP's 3 day export process, where they cancel your US title.

[Intercasa]

Right now it seems that nothing is being imported and fake paperwork is the rule, not the exception. Hopefully things open back up in the next month or two.

[snowyco]

Spencer,

Your post of the SAT/Aduana vehicle import information seems to conflict with the NAFTA treaty:

"North American Free Trade Agreement Annex 300-A
Trade and Investment in the Automotive Sector

Appendix 300-A.2: Mexico
Auto Decree and Auto Decree Implementing Regulations

Used Vehicles
24. Mexico may adopt or maintain prohibitions or restrictions on imports of used vehicles from the territory of another Party, except as follows:

(a) beginning January 1, 2009, Mexico may not adopt or maintain a prohibition or restriction on imports from the territories of Canada or the United States of originating used vehicles that are at least 10 years old;

( beginning January 1, 2011, Mexico may not adopt or maintain a prohibition or restriction on imports from the territories of Canada or the United States of originating used vehicles that are at least eight years old;

© beginning January 1, 2013, Mexico may not adopt or maintain a prohibition or restriction on imports from the territories of Canada or the United States of originating used vehicles that are at least six years old;

(d) beginning January 1, 2015, Mexico may not adopt or maintain a prohibition or restriction on imports from the territories of Canada or the United States of originating used vehicles that are at least four years old; "

Up to this point, Mexico has followed clauses (a), (, & ©.
Can you imagine why or if Mexico will not follow the NAFTA requirement allowing 4 year old cars and older as of Jan. 1, 2015?

[Intercasa]

Yes, my post does indeed conflict with NAFTA but I just reported what SAT has been publishing on their pages, Twitter and Facebook. I do not understand why they posted that information and keep doing so, I just reported it so people know what the official word is from the horse´s mouth as nothing else official has been published.

[MaryPat]

Another case of rules/laws being changed and information published but no one knows exactly what they are or how to interpret them. Spencer, I don't know how you keep up with your law practice when nothing is ever straight forward or fully implemented by by the government once and for all. I give you tons of credit because it must take you tons of time to figure out what the heck the government is doing and if what is published is what in force or not. That is a part of Mexico I never liked, I am too much of a straight arrow and was always worried about whether I was breaking a rule or a law.

[Mainecoons]

Senior Kentie, unfortunately there is collusion between the government and the car dealers in Mexico such that they really hassle anyone wanting to import. We actually tried to do so and gave up on it, sold our U.S. car to a relative and bought a newer Mexican plated CRV here. Cars are more expensive here but nice ones are readily available. I suggest you take a look at what the car wash guy in Riberas, Rafa, is selling. He has three particularly clean CRVs there. Friends of mine have bought from him with excellent results.

Of course you can drive a U.S. car here on a TIP assuming you're starting out with a temporal. You will be singled out on occasion for the mordida racket but that is a lot less frequent around lakeside these days.

If it is any consolation, sure Costa Rica will allow you to import a car but I believe that they charge a 50 percent duty on it.

Arbitrary and capricious officialdom goes with living in Mexico, unfortunately. This is at least one part of it that is not hart to avoid by not getting involved in importing a vehicle.

[CHILLIN]

Arbitrary and capricious officialdom goes with living in Mexico, unfortunately.

It is not arbitrary or capricious at all - Mexico is a "it's not what you know, it's who you know" country. It's the way of the world, a world where 1% of the population own over 50% of its wealth. It is just a more deeply engrained, and a lot more subtle in Mexico. For a people not used to this system, they think it is all about the money -"follow the money" - but it is not at all. It is about trust, loyalty, family ties, discretion, political influence and cultural nuances which a non-Mexican would find extremely difficult to pickup. For someone lucky enough to find a "string puller", a "fixer", willing to make things happen - that person would have to have the confidence that the person does not blab/brag to everyone on what was accomplished, and pass on the fixer's name to just anyone.

If you are the head goal scorer in a Mexican Futball club, and you want a 1994 Lamborghini - you can bet that is going to happen. If some overzealous Federale spots some irregularities in the paperwork, you can bet some behind door strings are going to be pulled and he will still be driving the car well until his retirement.

If you are part of the 1% Koch Brothers, and you want a pipeline built, you can bet that is going to happen, even if the Senate House Leader has to get behind it.

[solajijic]

I thought the OP was looking for information regarding older "quasi-classic" age vehicles. I would be interested in that information also.

[Sonia]

The oldest I have nationalized is 1984. I have older (1976 and 1979) waiting to be completed. And some from 1990's such as this VIN

1GCEC14Z4SZ226925

saludos

Sonia

[Mainecoons]

It is not arbitrary or capricious at all - Mexico is a "it's not what you know, it's who you know" country. It's the way of the world, a world where 1% of the population own over 50% of its wealth. It is just a more deeply engrained, and a lot more subtle in Mexico. For a people not used to this system, they think it is all about the money -"follow the money" - but it is not at all. It is about trust, loyalty, family ties, discretion, political influence and cultural nuances which a non-Mexican would find extremely difficult to pickup. For someone lucky enough to find a "string puller", a "fixer", willing to make things happen - that person would have to have the confidence that the person does not blab/brag to everyone on what was accomplished, and pass on the fixer's name to just anyone.

If you are the head goal scorer in a Mexican Futball club, and you want a 1994 Lamborghini - you can bet that is going to happen. If some overzealous Federale spots some irregularities in the paperwork, you can bet some behind door strings are going to be pulled and he will still be driving the car well until his retirement.

If you are part of the 1% Koch Brothers, and you want a pipeline built, you can bet that is going to happen, even if the Senate House Leader has to get behind it.

So the news stories I've read in Mexican papers that the car dealers are pushing the government to limit imports are just hot air?

The one percent doesn't need to import anything on their own, they can pay whatever the Mexican price is. Check out the exotic car dealers near to Andares Mall.

[CHILLIN]

I don't think it is the car dealers - there is pressure from car manufacturers. These are rough numbers but one million per year legally imported and resold as used, one million illegal/stolen used imports, and one million sold as new through dealers. The big problem the manufacturers are facing everywhere is that almost new auto parts, taken from scrapped vehicles, are imported selling at a small fraction of the price manufacturers charge. Manufacturers make huge profits from parts - they subsidize the dealer's selling price. Used auto parts is a huge world wide market now, especially from Japan. The internet has changed everything.

I don't disagree about the availability of luxury cars, my point is that many of them are from countries which the "rules" say are not allowed to be imported from. Now how do you suppose that happens?

[RVGRINGO]

The rules are for individuals. Dealerships exist in Mexico for most Japanese cars and some of them are made in Mexico, for example.