Notes from the Consulate

Foreign Car Importation Now Available !
By Elizabeth WilliamsW

Ever since summer, the newspapers have spoken about "Chocolate" cars being legally importable. When I called the Customs office, they told me the words "chocolate cars" meant cars in the country illegally.

WRONG! The new Presidential Decree allows Mexicans and Americans to import used cars whose values are less than $150,000 pesos, as long as the car was manufactured or assembled in one of the NAFTA countries: Canada, Mexico or the U.S. and is between ten and fifteen years old and it doesn't matter whether the car is currently in Mexico or you want to bring it in.

For cars in Mexico illegally this is a window of opportunity which closes on February 23, 2006. It is uncertain how long the window will be open for cars that are legally here or being brought into the country.

If you are coming to Mexico and want to bring in a used car between ten and fifteen years old you can legally import it permanently, an "importacion definitivo" which makes it a Mexican car.

If you presently have a car in Mexico now, you can change it from a temporary import, to a "definitive import" which makes it a Mexican car with Mexican license plates. And you can do it without returning the car to the border. You can do this in Lazaro Cardenas via a Customs Broker. If your car is presently illegal, you can still legally import it without penalty. You will need to have the title, but import documents are not required.

Once again:

1. Used vehicle between 10 and 15 years old.
2. Manufactured or assembled in one of the NAFTA countries: U.S. Canada or Mexico
3. Can be a vehicle with capacity up to 15 passengers.
4. Can be a truck up to 4,536 Kg (about 4.5 tons)
5. Can be a Panel Truck
6. Can be a housing trailer or semi-trailer.
7. Has a value of up to $150,000 pesos or up to $190,000 pesos with additional fees.

Here are the Customs Brokers in Lazaro Cardenas authorized to import used cars:

Louis Hoyo Garcia
Rio Cupatitzio #60
Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan
Tel: (753) 532-1611, 532-1623, 532-1478, FAX: 532-1501

Alfredo Valdez Gomez
Av. Lazaro Cardenas #1983, Planta Alta
Col. Centro
Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan
Tel: (753) 532-6797, 532-6798

Here are the fees that the Broker will be charging:

1. $2,500 pesos flat fee plus $183 pesos, authorized by government
2. Duty of 10% based on the value of the vehicle (I will soon have the appraisal chart to determine the value of the vehicles permitted to enter. If you want this information, please write and I'll send it to you.)
3. IVA of 15%, applied to 30% of the value of the vehicle
4. $288 pesos for the logogram (the sticker on the windshield) which is
   good for 30 days, giving you time to get your license plates and "tarjeta de circulacion" in your home state. (Lazaro Cardenas is in Michoacan, but we all live in Guerrero State) There are many other points that you can discuss with the Customs Broker in Lazaro Cardenas. I have been assured that someone in each office will speak English.
5. Importing your American car, making it Mexican, means it will not be dependent on your Immigration status. If your FM document expires while you are outside of Mexico, you wouldn't have to worry about the legality of your vehicle that you had left here. You might be able to use just a tourist visa if you are maintaining an FM document just to leave your car here. The down-side of importing your car is that you will have to pay the annual fees to the city, and get new license plates every three years, etc.

Everything in this message is correct and current as of today, November 30, 2005. But rules and circumstances change frequently and without notice. Please contact the Customs Broker to confirm everything if or when you decide to make your American vehicle Mexican.

Elizabeth Williams is the United States Consular Agent, the Consular Agency is located in front of the Hotel Fontan, hours 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. She can be reached at Tel. 755-553-2100 Fax 755-553-2772 or by email at lizwilliams@diplomats.com

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