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Can I bring plywood into Mexico?


Frijoles

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I have brought maybe a dozen pieces at a time, 2x4s, plywood, pieces used as baseboard, etc. Never asked, never needed anything. Wooden doors for my house (13 in one trip.) on a trailer. We built our house by bringing things from Home Depot in Laredo, Texas (doors, windows(23), lumber, paint, etc.)YMMD. Passed thru Laredo.

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It sounds like you zipped right through the “nothing to declare“ lane without being stopped. Correct?

If so, you took a chance. I would not recommend that option, as it could result in serious trouble.

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No need to pour on the hellfire and damnation clause.

If you want the truth, all you have to do when you buy the wood is ask for the certificate that the wood was treated, including dry kiln, in an APHIS approved facility (which sounds very easy to obtain).

Here's the facts:

http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/Change%20to%20Certificates%20Required%20to%20Export%20Lumber%20to%20Mexico_Mexico_Mexico_12-30-2014.pdf

If you are buying hardwood plywood, this is a list of companies which meet Mexican requirements:

http://impak.nhla.com/Public/NHLA_KD_Certified_Members.aspx

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It sounds like you zipped right through the “nothing to declare“ lane without being stopped. Correct?

If so, you took a chance. I would not recommend that option, as it could result in serious trouble.

Kinda hard to go thru that lane pulling an open trailer with doors, windows, wood, 5 gal. buckets of paint, kitchen cabinets boxed, etc. don't you imagine? Of course we stopped and paid our 16%, and we had our receipts from Home Depot in Laredo to verify our purchases. Been in Mexican jail for 8 hours once, and that was enough. Never take any chances like that. The quality of our purchases was so much better than what we could have bought in Mexico, and even paying the trips and the duty, we still came out ahead. Each person needs to do what they think is best for them, and every ones' experiences will be different, but best for them.

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I“m glad you declared the stuff and that you still came out ahead. That is good news and may be good advice for others interested in doing the same. However, your post above did sound a bit oversimplified & never mentioned showing the receipts and paying the duty. That is what led to my response.

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I“m glad you declared the stuff and that you still came out ahead. That is good news and may be good advice for others interested in doing the same. However, your post above did sound a bit oversimplified & never mentioned showing the receipts and paying the duty. That is what led to my response.

I have crossed by car hundreds of times. They will see a vehicle in the nothing to declare lane full of stuff, example: a pickup or van, all RVs or someone hauling a trailer and automatically walk them over to the something to declare area. I have never seen them get through that easy. Sometimes my car was full of stuff and they asked what I have in the nothing to declare lane after getting a red light and I say stuff for my house and they have me pop the trunk open, as they do always when I get a red light, and then open the back car doors and snoop around a bit and wave me on.

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Of course we stopped and paid our 16%, and we had our receipts from Home Depot in Laredo to verify our purchases.

So, do you just show them the receipts of everything you bought in the US and they impose the 16% tax on everything over and above the $300 per person allowed to be brought in duty-free?

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Some things are exempt for personal use and we always just listed (in a general way) at the top of our list with items such as computers, clothing, personal items, etc.. You then complete a form for them such as: food-$120, building supplies-$54, etc. They will then take off the $300 per person, and do 16% of what is left. If you don't owe, you don't need to stop, but I suggest that you itemize a general list, showing where you will not owe, just in case you are stopped later. And, yes, if they ask, you can show receipts. Only when we brought the cabinets, did someone want to see a receipt for one particular cabinet. We had it. That is the only time in all these years I have been asked for a receipt. They have always taken my word on prices and totals. We try not to "fudge" too much.

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Some things are exempt for personal use and we always just listed (in a general way) at the top of our list with items such as computers, clothing, personal items, etc.. You then complete a form for them such as: food-$120, building supplies-$54, etc. They will then take off the $300 per person, and do 16% of what is left. If you don't owe, you don't need to stop, but I suggest that you itemize a general list, showing where you will not owe, just in case you are stopped later. And, yes, if they ask, you can show receipts. Only when we brought the cabinets, did someone want to see a receipt for one particular cabinet. We had it. That is the only time in all these years I have been asked for a receipt. They have always taken my word on prices and totals. We try not to "fudge" too much.

Thanks for the info. What things are exempt for personal use? Are you referring to what is listed as 'Equipaje" in the following link?

http://www.sat.gob.m...sar_Mexico.aspx

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