Changes to ensure vehicles aren’t stolen, don’t pollute and that they run

New import rules for used vehicles May 2

New rules for importing used vehicles into Mexico will go into effect May 2, the General Customs Administration (AGA) has announced.

The intention is not to limit the number of vehicles imported but to be ensure that they comply with all the requirements, that their emissions tests are valid and that their documents genuine, the head of the AGA told the newspaper El Universal.

Ricardo Treviño Chapa explained that in order to prevent the use of fake emissions test results, Mexican Customs will obtain those results directly from verification centers in the United States.

Operating hours of Customs offices where vehicles can be imported — which will be limited to Ciudad Juárez, Piedras Negras, Reynosa, Matamoros, Mexicali, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Veracruz and Tijuana — will be extended by two hours, operating from 8:00am to 1:00pm.

Treviño said companies authorized to issue purchase documentation for used vehicles now have more requirements to meet, and that they’ll have a 30-day deadline to deliver vehicles to a Customs office.

“What are we achieving with these rules? A guarantee that the vehicle isn’t stolen, that it works properly, that its emission levels are within those allowed and that the taxes have been paid.

“Ultimately, the end user, the families that purchase a used vehicle, will have the certainty that it will run,” Treviño said.

Source: El Universal (sp)