# nationalizing a US vehicle in Mexico



## LMtortugas (Aug 23, 2013)

August 2013

I just completed the process of nationalizing a 2000 Nissan Altima which I gave to my sister-in-law in Sinaloa, Mexico and thought I would send a summary of events. Perhaps, this info might help somebody down the road. I have worked in the automotive industry for some 30 years and understand the business very well. That said, nationalizing a vehicle can prove to be a very frustrating, arduous, and at times, guesswork process. Unfortunately, government agencies in both the US and Mexico are equally saddled with bureaucracy.

Confusion began with the US CBP. Trying to obtain precise uniform information is near impossible. Having experienced in the past the taxing process of importing into the US my wife’s car from Mexico, I contacted CBP to enquire if I could, in some fashion, certify the 2000 Nissan as a US vehicle to avoid the import hassles if I ever chose to return the Nissan to the US in the future. The open issue revolves around “officially exporting” the vehicle to Mexico according to CBP rules and regulations. I was advised that I must comply with this policy, which is a 3 plus day wait for approval (???), or face vehicle confiscation and a fine.???

Briefly, I learned that policy information offered by CBP customer service representatives (non CBP officers) located in Washington D. C. does not necessarily harmonize with the instructions put forward by CBP officers “on the ground” at US Ports of Entry (POE). Furthermore, instructions from a supervising officer at one particular US POE can vary & deviate significantly from the instructions of a supervising officer at another POE I followed the advice of a CBP customer service supervisor who instructed “Contact directly the senior commercial import/export officer on duty at the port of entry you plan to exit through, each POE follows CBP guidelines but has their own set of practices.” I would strongly recommend heeding this advice to avoid any further frustration and muddle than already naturally exists. I entered Mexico through Nogales, Sonora without any CBP intervention crossing the border.

Following an educated guess to utilize the Nogales POE, I turned my attention to the actual nationalization process. Retrieving concrete information from Mexican authorities is no less challenging than from the US. I went to a Mexican Consulate, e-mailed Program Paisano and called their offices in both Chicago and Houston, and researched the aduanas.gob.mx website but still remained relatively clueless about the process as these agencies were less than responsive.

I finally concluded I seriously needed a Mexican Customs Agent. Services rendered by the agent were exact, straightforward, and streamlined the process immediately. Much of the work was transacted online eliminating unnecessary time delays. 

The process is not that complicated and time consuming if you are dealing with a professional and all required paperwork is in order. Similar to the US, the vehicle is first subject to a thorough background check, followed by a physical inspection, then approval by the feds to enter Mexico. Documents are then generated officially nationalizing the vehicle and prepared for eventual registration and titling in the state of Sinaloa 

For the record, 1) a Mexican customs Agent is required regardless if the owner is a citizen of Mexico 2) 2007 model year vehicles and older qualify for nationalization, 3) the vehicle must be manufactured in a NAFTA member country 4) The vehicle VIN# must begin with a numeral 5) similar to US ports of entry, the fees, procedures, and services vary between Mexican POE and one can choose the Mexican POE of choice. The total cost to nationalize the 2000 Nissan Altima was $930US, payable in either dollars or pesos.

Do the homework and compile the required documents in advance


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