Countries › Mexico › Guide › 9. Trade and customs › Trade remedies in Mexico: antidumping and countervailing duties (cuotas compensatorias), safeguards, circumvention and how importers are affected

Trade remedies in Mexico: antidumping and countervailing duties (cuotas compensatorias), safeguards, circumvention and how importers are affected

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Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Status: Stable

The Ministry of Economy can impose countervailing duties (cuotas compensatorias) on imports sold below normal value or subsidized when they injure a Mexican industry, and safeguard measures when import surges cause serious injury; petitions must come from producers representing at least 25 percent of domestic output. Investigations follow fixed clocks: a preliminary resolution within 90 business days and a final one within 210 business days of the initiation notice in the DOF, with provisional duties possible after 45 business days. Definitive duties expire after five years unless a review or sunset examination is opened; importers can ask whether a product is covered, and duties also apply to circumvention through parts, third country assembly or minor changes.

USD conversions use MXN 18.5026 per US dollar, the US Federal Reserve H.10 noon buying rate in New York for 16 October 2026 (FRED series DEXMXUS), the latest observation available when this page was verified. Mexican customs converts foreign currency values at the rate set under the customs rules, which differs slightly. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Share of domestic production petitioners must represent	25 %Ley de Comercio Exterior art. 50, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Deadline for preliminary resolution after initiation	90 business daysLey de Comercio Exterior art. 57, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Earliest point for a provisional duty after initiation	45 business daysLey de Comercio Exterior art. 57, section I, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Deadline for final resolution after initiation	210 business daysLey de Comercio Exterior art. 59, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Expiry of definitive countervailing duties absent review	5 yearsLey de Comercio Exterior art. 70, as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. What triggers a countervailing duty. Imports in conditions of price discrimination (dumping, a price below normal value) or subsidies in the exporting country that cause injury to a Mexican industry producing identical or similar goods are unfair trade practices, and importers of such goods must pay a countervailing duty. Injury means material injury, threat of injury or material delay in establishing a domestic industry, and other factors causing injury may not be attributed to the dumped or subsidized imports.Ley de Comercio Exterior, DOF 27 July 1993 (last reform DOF 1 May 2026), Arts. 28, 30 and 39, 1993-07-27 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. Who can ask and the timeline. A petition may be filed by legally constituted organizations or producers of identical or similar goods representing at least 25 percent of total domestic production. Within 90 days of the initiation notice in the DOF the Ministry issues a preliminary resolution that may impose a provisional duty (not earlier than 45 days after initiation), continue without one, or end the case; within 210 days of initiation it issues the final resolution imposing a definitive duty, revoking the provisional duty or closing the case. Deadlines in days under this law are business days.Ley de Comercio Exterior, DOF 27 July 1993 (reform DOF 13 March 2003), Arts. 50, 57 and 59, 2003-03-13 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. How much and for how long. The duty equals the dumping margin (normal value less export price) or the amount of the subsidy, and may be lower if a lower amount is enough to discourage the unfair imports. The Ministry of Finance collects provisional and definitive duties and may accept CFF guarantees for provisional ones; if the final resolution confirms them, the guarantees are enforced, and if it lowers or revokes them, the difference is refunded with interest. Definitive duties remain only as long as needed and expire five years after entry into force unless an annual review or a sunset examination has been started before then.
Example: A countervailing duty of 25 percent on a shipment with a customs value of MXN 1,850,260 adds MXN 462,565 to the cost, on top of the import duty, DTA and VAT. / On USD 100,000 of goods, USD 25,000.Ley de Comercio Exterior, DOF 27 July 1993, Arts. 62, 65, 67 and 70, 1993-07-27 official text · verified 2026-10-26

4. Safeguards. Safeguard measures temporarily regulate or restrict imports of goods identical, similar or directly competitive with domestic production to prevent or remedy serious injury and help domestic producers adjust, when imports have increased in absolute terms or relative to domestic production. They may take the form of specific or ad valorem tariffs, prior permits, quotas or a combination.Ley de Comercio Exterior, DOF 27 July 1993, Art. 45, 1993-07-27 official text · verified 2026-10-26

5. Product coverage and circumvention. Once a definitive duty is set, interested parties may ask whether a specific product is covered; the Ministry starts a coverage procedure within 20 days and decides within 60 days. Circumvention includes importing parts to assemble the covered good in Mexico, importing the good assembled in a third country, importing goods from the same origin with minor differences, importing at a lower duty than applicable, or any conduct that avoids payment; circumventing goods pay the duty.Ley de Comercio Exterior (articles added DOF 13 March 2003), Arts. 89 A and 89 B, 2003-03-13 official text · verified 2026-10-26

6. Importer compliance and appeals. Importers must hold origin evidence for the application of countervailing duties, and importing without paying countervailing duties is an infraction with a fine of 130 to 150 percent of the omitted amount or, where the duty is treated as a non tariff measure, 250 to 300 percent of the commercial value; customs may seize goods when countervailing duties are omitted. A declared origin that differs from a physical origin mark of a country subject to a countervailing duty is a ground for suspension from the importers register. Resolutions imposing definitive duties may be challenged by administrative revocation appeal.Ley Aduanera (reform DOF 19 November 2025); Ley de Comercio Exterior; RGCE 2026, Ley Aduanera arts. 59, section II, 151, section II, 176 and 178, sections I and IV; LCE art. 94; RGCE rule 1.3.3, section XXXI, 2025-11-19 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Stage	Deadline	Article
Petition by producers with 25 percent of domestic output	Any time	50
Provisional duty possible	From 45 days after initiation	57, section I
Preliminary resolution	Within 90 days of initiation	57
Final resolution	Within 210 days of initiation	59
Product coverage request decided	Start within 20 days, decide within 60	89 A
Sunset of definitive duty	Five years unless review or sunset exam opened	70

Mexican trade remedy investigation clock, verified 26 October 2026 against Ley de Comercio Exterior arts. 50 to 70 and 89 A (days are business days).

Worked example

A Mexican distributor imports steel products from a country later named in an antidumping petition. The Ministry publishes the initiation in the DOF; from day 45 a provisional duty may apply, and the preliminary resolution must come within 90 business days (LCE art. 57).
If a provisional duty of 25 percent is set, a shipment with a customs value of MXN 1,850,260 (about USD 100,000) pays MXN 462,565 extra, payable in cash or guaranteed under the CFF (art. 65). If the final resolution within 210 business days lowers the duty, the difference is refunded with interest.
Switching to the same product assembled in a third country from the original country's parts does not avoid the duty if the Ministry finds circumvention (art. 89 B).

Step by step

1. Monitor DOF initiation notices for products and origins in your supply chain.
2. Take part in the investigation as an interested party and answer the Ministry's questionnaires on time.
3. Budget for provisional duties or guarantees from day 45 after initiation.
4. Check product scope; use the coverage procedure of art. 89 A when unclear.
5. Keep origin evidence and verify physical origin marks match the declared origin.
6. Calendar the five year sunset date and any review opportunities (art. 70).

Common traps

Changing supplier country without checking circumvention rules. Third country assembly of covered parts can carry the duty (LCE art. 89 B).
Origin marks that contradict the pedimento. A mark from a country subject to a countervailing duty with a different declared origin can suspend the importer (RGCE rule 1.3.3, section XXXI).
Misclassification into a covered line. Where a misclassification leads to omitted countervailing duties, the importer can also be suspended from the register (rule 1.3.3, section XXX).
Assuming duties end on their own. Duties lapse at five years only if no review or sunset examination was started (art. 70).

Sources

Related: Mexico country profile · live dashboard · central bank and release calendar · our posts on X · where Argentina is involved, see The Argentine Thread guide

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