Mexico is Canada’s third-largest trading partner, but it is also the North American market that Canadian small and medium-sized businesses are least familiar with. The result: packages held up at customs, customers who refuse to pay unexpected taxes, and brokerage fees that eat into profit margins.

Good news: thanks to ACEUM, Ship to Mexico from Canada It remains one of the most advantageous international trade corridors in the world. However, it is still necessary to be familiar with the thresholds, the required documents, and the new Mexican customs regulations that took effect in 2026.

This guide covers everything you need to know before printing your next shipping label: duty-free thresholds, taxes, required documentation, choosing a carrier, and costly mistakes.

De minimis thresholds: What Mexico Allows to Enter Duty-Free

Mexico applies two separate thresholds to courier shipments from Canada and the United States, as established by the USMCA:

• Up to 50 US $ : no customs duties and No tax.
• From 50 $ US to 117 $ US : Exempt from customs duties, but IVA (Mexican VAT) at a rate of 16 % applies.
• Above 117 1Q4Q US : Customs duties based on the product's HS code, plus 16 % IVA on the total customs value.

These thresholds apply specifically to goods originating in Canada or the United States. This is a real competitive advantage: in 2026, Mexico raised the overall rate applicable to low-value courier shipments from elsewhere (from 19 % to approximately 33.5 % for goods valued at up to 2,500 $ USD), but this increase does not aim to Canadian and U.S. shipments covered by the USMCA.

In other words, an Asian competitor shipping the same product to Mexico City currently pays nearly double in customs duties. Your Canadian shipments, on the other hand, continue to benefit from preferential treatment—provided you can prove it.

The ACEUM Certificate of Origin: The Rule That Changed in 2026

This is the point that has tripped up the most shippers this year. Previously, it was possible to provide the certificate of origin upon request, after the fact. That is no longer the case. Since the amendments to Mexican customs law in 2026, the certificate of origin must be uploaded in digital format before shipment.

A shipment that arrives without a valid certificate of origin is not simply delayed—it is subject to the full tariff rate applicable to third countries, as if it were not covered by the USMCA. For a shipment of 800 $, the difference can amount to several hundred dollars.

The ACEUM certificate of origin does not require an official form. Nine data elements are sufficient (importer, exporter, producer, description, HS classification, rule of origin, applicable period, signature, and date). You can include them directly on your commercial invoice.

What the commercial invoice must include

• Complete contact information for the sender and recipient, including a valid phone number
• Provide a detailed description of each item — «clothing» isn't enough; write «men's cotton T-shirts»
• At least a 6-digit HS code for each line
• Unit price, quantity, currency, and total amount
• Country of origin (manufacturing, not shipping)
• Visit RFC the recipient's address, if it is a Mexican company
• The ACEUM Certificate of Origin

The RFC: The Tax ID Number We Always Forget

For any business shipment to a Mexican company, the RFC The recipient's Federal Taxpayer Registry (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes) number is essential. Without this tax ID number, customs clearance will be delayed, regardless of the quality of your documents.

For shipments to individuals, a CURP or a form of identification may be required, depending on the value. Please resolve this issue. before to ship it—not when the package is already sitting in a customs warehouse in Mexico City.

Another new development for 2026: Carriers now bear greater liability in the event of false declarations. They must verify the identity of shippers and are subject to fines in the event of repeated errors. In practice, they are much stricter than before about the quality of the data you provide them.

Which airline should you choose for a trip to Mexico?

The four common options available from Canada, along with their respective strengths:

A simple rule of thumb: for shipments weighing less than 2 kg and valued at less than 117 $ US, the postal option is often unbeatable. For shipments exceeding those limits, or whenever delivery time is a factor, express carriers justify their prices by handling customs clearance from start to finish.

The delivery times and price estimates above are approximate and may vary depending on the service selected, the origin, the destination, and the agreement negotiated with the carrier.

DDP or DDU: Who Pays the Taxes?

This is the decision that has the greatest impact on your rejection rate in Mexico. In DDU (unpaid duties), the recipient receives a customs invoice before delivery. In Mexico, as elsewhere, a significant number of customers simply refuse the package—and you end up paying for the return shipping.

In DDP (duties paid), you pay the duties and VAT upfront and include them in your selling price. This makes the process more predictable, eliminates unpleasant surprises at the door, and significantly reduces the number of refusals.

For B2C trade with Mexico, DDP is almost always the right choice. For B2B trade, where the buyer has an RFC and their own broker, DDU works well.

Five Costly Mistakes on the Canada-Mexico Corridor

1. Confusing "origin" and "provenance.". A product manufactured in China and shipped from Montreal is not eligible for the USMCA. The country of origin is the place of manufacture.
2. Describe it in general terms. Mexican customs is known for being strict about generic descriptions. Every vague word is a reason to conduct an inspection.
3. Omit the recipient's phone number. Without it, no customs clearance notice is issued, and the package remains in storage.
4. Undervalue the goods. An unrealistic declared value will attract an inspection, void your insurance coverage, and may result in penalties.
5. Ignore Mexican holidays. Holy Week, September 16, and the period from December 12 to 24 significantly slow down customs clearance.

Have your shipments inspected before they are shipped

The Canada-Mexico corridor rewards preparation. The USMCA thresholds are generous, the IVA is predictable, and processing times are good—but a single missing field on a commercial invoice can turn a three-day shipment into a two-week process.

At Shipping Store, we compare rates from FedEx, UPS, DHL, and Canada Post for each of your shipments to Mexico; we validate your customs documents and HS classification before shipment; and we help you structure your shipments as DDP to avoid rejections.

Get a quote for your shipments to Mexico at expertshipping.ca and have our team review your documents before your next shipment.