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  Law Information

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS AND RULES IN MEXICO 

(Go Back to Main Customs Page)

 

NAFTA/Maquila Rules

 

NAFTA Article 303, 304
Article 303: Restriction on Drawback and Duty Deferral Programs

1. Except as otherwise provided in this Article, no Party may refund the amount of customs duties paid, or waive or reduce the amount of customs duties owed, on a good imported into its territory, on condition that the good is:

a) subsequently exported to the territory of another Party,

b) used as a material in the production of another good that is subsequently exported to the territory of another Party, or

c) substituted by an identical or similar good used as a material in the production of another good that is subsequently exported to the territory of another Party, in an amount that exceeds the lesser of the total amount of customs duties paid or owed on the good on importation into its territory and the total amount of customs duties paid to another Party on the good that has been subsequently exported to the territory of that other Party.

2. No Party may, on condition of export, refund, waive or reduce:

a) an antidumping or countervailing duty that is applied pursuant to a Party's domestic law and that is not applied inconsistently with Chapter Nineteen (Review and Dispute Settlement in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Matters);

b) a premium offered or collected on an imported good arising out of any tendering system in respect of the administration of quantitative import restrictions, tariff rate quotas or tariff preference levels;

c) a fee applied pursuant to section 22 of the U.S. Agricultural Adjustment Act, subject to Chapter Seven (Agriculture and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures); or

d) customs duties paid or owed on a good imported into its territory and substituted by an identical or similar good that is subsequently exported to the territory of another Party.

3. Where a good is imported into the territory of a Party pursuant to a duty deferral program and is subsequently exported to the territory of another Party, or is used as a material in the production of another good that is subsequently exported to the territory of another Party, or is substituted by an identical or similar good used as a material in the production of another good that is subsequently exported to the territory of another Party, the Party from whose territory the good is exported:

a) shall assess the customs duties as if the exported good had been withdrawn for domestic consumption; and

b) may waive or reduce such customs duties to the extent permitted under paragraph 1.

4. In determining the amount of customs duties that may be refunded, waived or reduced pursuant to paragraph 1 on a good imported into its territory, each Party shall require presentation of satisfactory evidence of the amount of customs duties paid to another Party on the good that has been subsequently exported to the territory of that other Party.

5. Where satisfactory evidence of the customs duties paid to the Party to which a good is subsequently exported under a duty deferral program described in paragraph 3 is not presented within 60 days after the date of exportation, the Party from whose territory the good was exported:

a) shall collect customs duties as if the exported good had been withdrawn for domestic consumption; and

b) may refund such customs duties to the extent permitted under paragraph 1 on the timely presentation of such evidence under its laws and regulations.

6. This Article does not apply to:

a) a good entered under bond for transportation and exportation to the territory of another Party;

b) a good exported to the territory of another Party in the same condition as when imported into the territory of the Party from which the good was exported (processes such as testing, cleaning, repacking or inspecting the good, or preserving it in its same condition, shall not be considered to change a good's condition). Except as provided in Annex 703.2, Section A, paragraph 12, where such a good has been commingled with fungible goods and exported in the same condition, its origin for purposes of this subparagraph, may be determined on the basis of the inventory methods provided for in the Uniform Regulations established under Article 511 (Uniform Regulations);

c) a good imported into the territory of a Party that is deemed to be exported from its territory, or used as a material in the production of another good that is deemed to be exported to the territory of another Party, or is substituted by an identical or similar good used as a material in the production of another good that is deemed to be exported to the territory of another Party, by reason of

(i) delivery to a duty-free shop,

(ii) delivery for ship's stores or supplies for ships or aircraft, or

(iii) delivery for use in joint undertakings of two or more of the Parties and that will subsequently become the property of the Party into whose territory the good was deemed to be imported;

d) a refund of customs duties by a Party on a particular good imported into its territory and subsequently exported to the territory of another Party, where that refund is granted by reason of the failure of such good to conform to sample or specification, or by reason of the shipment of such good without the consent of the consignee;

e) an originating good that is imported into the territory of a Party and is subsequently exported to the territory of another Party, or used as a material in the production of another good that is subsequently exported to the territory of another Party, or is substituted by an identical or similar good used as a material in the production of another good that is subsequently exported to the territory of another Party; or

f) a good set out in Annex 303.6.

7. Except for paragraph 2(d), this Article shall apply as of the date set out in each Party's Section of Annex 303.7.

8. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article and except as specifically provided in Annex 303.8, no Party may refund the amount of customs duties paid, or waive or reduce the amount of customs duties owed, on a non-originating good provided for in item 8540.11.aa (color cathode-ray television picture tubes, including video monitor tubes, with a diagonal exceeding 14 inches) or 8540.11.cc (color cathode ray television picture tubes for high definition television, with a diagonal exceeding 14 inches) that is imported into the Party's territory and subsequently exported to the territory of another Party, or is used as a material in the production of another good that is subsequently exported to the territory of another Party, or is substituted by an identical or similar good used as a material in the production of another good that is subsequently exported to the territory of another Party.

9. For purposes of this Article:

customs duties are the customs duties that would be applicable to a good entered for consumption in the customs territory of a Party if the good were not exported to the territory of another party;

identical or similar goods means "identical or similar goods" as defined in Article 415 (Rules of Origin Definitions);

material means "material" as defined in Article 415;

used means "used" as defined in Article 415.

10. For purposes of the Article:

Where a good referred to by a tariff item number in this Article is described in parentheses following the tariff item number, the description is provided for purposes of reference only.


Article 304: Waiver of Customs Duties

1. Except as set out in Annex 304.1, no Party may adopt any new waiver of customs duties, or expand with respect to existing recipients or extend to any new recipient the application of an existing waiver of customs duties, where the waiver is conditioned, explicitly or implicitly, on the fulfillment of a performance requirement.

2. Except as set out in Annex 304.2, no Party may, explicitly or implicitly, condition on the fulfillment of a performance requirement the continuation of any existing waiver of customs duties.

3. If a waiver or a combination of waivers of customs duties granted by a Party with respect to goods for commercial use by a designated person can be shown by another Party to have an adverse impact on the commercial interests of a person of that Party, or of a person owned or controlled by a person of that Party that is located in the territory of the Party granting the waiver, or on the other Party's economy, the Party granting the waiver shall either cease to grant it or make it generally available to any importer.

4. This Article shall not apply to measures subject to Article 303.

 

 

 

Drawback Decree
 
This decree took effect on January 1, 2001
 
 
   
El Decreto Que Establece La Devolución De Impuestos De Importación A Los Exportadores. The Decree That Establishes The Return Of Import Taxes To Exporters (Drawback)
(D.O.F. del 11 de mayo de 1995, y sus reformas del 29 de diciembre del 2000)

 

(D.0.F. May 11th of may, 1995, reformed the 29th of December, 2000

 

The Maquiladora Decree
 
The Decree for the Development and Operation of the Maquiladora Export Industry. 
El Decreto para el Fomento y Operación de la Industria Maquiladora de Exportación.
 

The Maquiladora industry was established in Mexico more than 30 years ago by a series of presidential decrees.  The Zedillo administration issued a new Decree in June of 1998 and then changed it  November 12, 1998.  The 1998 Decree voided all previous Decrees and worked to bring the industry in line with the NAFTA timetable.  

On Oct. 30, 2000. A new Decree was published in the DOF, it details the timetable for elimination of the temporary imports and the calculation of the import duties after January 1, 2001.

The 31st of Dec. 31, 2000 a newly reformed Decree was published, this new version, clarifies many of the details left in question with the last Decree.  It further clarifies the new rules related to Article 303 of NAFTA. 

The new Decree published Dec. 31, 2000 takes effect January 1, 2001

An important reference for everyone in the Maquiladora Industry.