Cross borders withBringGo Ship

Cross-border freight rarely moves on a single truck end to end. By law a US tractor can travel only about 16 miles into Mexico, and Mexican tractors face similar limits in the US, so most shipments use a three-carrier handoff: a Mexican carrier hauls to the border, a licensed drayage carrier shuttles the trailer across customs on a short tractor, and a US carrier runs the long-haul leg. Full truckload (FTL) moves typically take 2 to 5 business days, while less-than-truckload (LTL) takes 5 to 8 business days because of consolidation. FTL is quoted per trip based on lane, distance, and urgency, while LTL is priced per hundredweight with a minimum charge, so the right mode depends on your volume and delivery timeline. Transloading, common in Laredo, shifts cargo from a Mexican trailer to a US trailer at a facility near the border. BringGo Ship coordinates these legs through its Laredo, Texas and Monterrey, Mexico hubs so freight clears without unnecessary handling.

Unlike the US, Mexico requires a licensed agente aduanal (a patent-holding customs broker) for every commercial import and export. Importers cannot self-file; the broker submits the pedimento, Mexico's electronic customs declaration, through the VUCEM single window, supported by a commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading. Mexico charges 16% IVA (value-added tax) on the customs value plus any duty, and registered importers recover IVA as an input tax credit using the pedimento as evidence. The IGI (General Import Tax) is the primary duty, but USMCA-origin US goods often qualify for a 0% preferential rate when rules of origin are met and documented. Since January 1, 2025, every import declaration must include the importer of record's RFC tax ID, and the importer must be listed in the Padron de Importadores.

USMCA, known in Mexico as T-MEC, no longer uses a specific certificate form; it has been replaced by a certification of origin built from nine minimum data elements that can appear on an invoice or any document, completed by the importer, exporter, or producer. Goods that meet the rules of origin, including the de minimis allowance for non-originating content, can enter duty-free, and USMCA-originating goods are also exempt from Mexico's customs processing fee. Mexico's tariff reform effective January 1, 2026 raises base MFN duties on roughly 1,463 tariff subheadings for non-treaty countries, with rates from 5% to 50%, which makes qualifying for USMCA preference even more valuable.

Laredo, Texas is the busiest US to Mexico land port and a top US port of entry by trade value. Its World Trade Bridge processes 15,000 to 18,000 trucks per day, roughly 40% of all US to Mexico truck crossings, and dedicated FAST lanes with CTPAT pre-clearance can cut border waits by 50 to 75%. Other major commercial crossings include Otay Mesa for the Tijuana cluster and El Paso for Ciudad Juarez. Monterrey, about 140 miles south of Laredo, is Mexico's leading nearshoring hub and offers bonded warehouses that hold imported goods duty-free until clearance. Nearshoring has made Mexico the largest US trading partner, with the IMMEX maquiladora program letting companies temporarily import inputs duty and VAT free when finished goods are exported. BringGo Ship operates warehousing and fulfillment on both sides of the border in Laredo and Monterrey.

Mexico applies 16% IVA on most imports and sales, and the recipient's RFC tax ID is mandatory for all imports. The de minimis structure is tiered: shipments at or under 50 dollars are exempt from duties and taxes, 50.01 to 117 dollars carry about 17% if shipped from the US or Canada, 117 to 1,000 dollars carry about 19%, and over 1,000 dollars carry about 20%. Amazon Remote Fulfillment with FBA lets US sellers serve Mexico from existing US inventory with Prime, but under tightened customs rules sellers must act as the registered importer of record or risk rejected shipments. For last-mile delivery, carriers such as Estafeta, FedEx, DHL, Paquetexpress, iMile, and J&T Express each cover the Mexican Republic. BringGo Ship supports Amazon FBA and FBM prep, dropshipping, and last-mile delivery across this network.