Overview of Mexican Customs Revenue Growth
Mexico’s customs revenue, collected through 50 customs points across the country, continued its growth trajectory in November of the previous year. This growth occurred amidst changes in foreign trade and increased surveillance at these import points.
Revenue Details from January to November
According to the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM), revenue from customs points amounted to 1,320,462 million pesos between January and November of the previous year. This represents a 14.3% annual growth, marking the highest growth for a similar period since records began in 2018.
Customs Revenue Surpassing Pre-COVID Levels
With these figures, customs revenue is on track to exceed the levels reported before the COVID-19 pandemic, when mobility restrictions caused a 15% drop in these revenues.
Gradual Recovery
The monthly report by ANAM attributes the robust customs revenue to a gradual recovery in Value Added Tax (VAT), the primary source of income in foreign trade and linked to consumption.
- VAT Revenue: 904,133 million pesos were collected from VAT in customs between January and November, marking a 7.8% annual growth.
- IEPS Revenue: The Imposto Especial sobre Producción y Servicios (IEPS) saw the highest annual growth, 49.9%, due to increased hydrocarbon imports.
- IGI Revenue: The Impuesto General de Importación (IGI) generated 154,843 million pesos, an 18.4% increase, attributed to heightened surveillance and trade modifications.
Maritime and Border Customs: Major Contributors
ANAM’s report indicates that more than half of the customs revenue came from maritime ports.
- Maritime Customs: The 17 maritime customs points generated 683,244 million pesos, a 19.4% increase and 51.7% of the total customs dispatch revenue.
- Border Customs: Border customs contributed 422,047 million pesos, a 9.1% increase compared to the same period last year, accounting for 31.9% of total revenue.
- Interior Customs: Interior customs added 215,170 million pesos to the public treasury, a 9.8% annual growth and 16.3% of total foreign trade revenue.
ANAM’s Fourth Anniversary and Future Plans
This year marks four years since the establishment of ANAM, initiated during Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration to enhance control over foreign trade operations.
ANAM aims to strengthen Mexico’s customs system, functioning as a more autonomous entity under the Ministry of Finance with technical, operational, administrative, and management independence.
Through digitalization and modernization, ANAM claims to have made customs “safer, smarter, and more efficient.”
Effective January 1, amendments to the Customs Law were implemented to improve tax collection and surveillance at customs points. These changes include modernizing processes using new technologies, enhancing security and transparency with stricter controls against offenses like tax evasion, smuggling, and corruption, and fostering competitiveness.
