Advantages of the IMMEX program in Mexico

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscores the advantages of implementing the Program to Promote the Manufacturing, Maquiladora and Export Services Industry (IMMEX). 

Mexico doubled the products it exports to the world in the last decade, leading the export dynamism in North America. During that period, from 2009 to 2019, exports from the United States grew 55.7% and those from Canada were up 41.7%, according to official data from the three countries. Therefore, IMMEX companies have been relevant actors in Mexican export dynamism.

On November 1, 2006, the Ministry of Economy published the Decree for the Promotion of the Manufacturing, Maquiladora and Export Services Industry (IMMEX Decree), which is part of the trade facilitation policy implemented by the same Ministry to strengthen competitiveness with the Mexican export sector.

The IMMEX Decree incorporates, in a single legal instrument, the programs for the Promotion and Operation of the Maquila Export Industry (Maquila) and the program establishing Temporary Import Programs to Produce Export Articles (PITEX), in which the companies together represent 85% of Mexico’s manufacturing exports.

It is important to emphasize that the IMMEX Decree is more than a regulatory framework, since its provisions and scope transformed it into an instrument for facilitating and promoting foreign trade operations by reducing costs and allowing for an adoption of new methods for conducting and operating business.

IMMEX program Measures

The IMMEX program comprises a series of measures which are grouped under three main headings:

-New ways of conducting business: The IMMEX Decree offers Mexico an opportunity to become a leader in the global services market, as well as to become an attractive destination for developing new projects related to this industry.

This is because this instrument not only considers services related to the production of goods, but also to activities that are a service in themselves, such as fashion, design, reengineering, remanufacturing and all others related to software and information technology, where Business Process Outsourcing (BPO’s) stands out, which includes administration, accounting, outsourcing, testing, data processing and customer service (call centers).

In addition, the Decree states that outsourcing and sub-manufacturing allow small and medium-sized companies to join the export markets, forming a network of manufacturing and service providers associated with foreign trade.

-Administrative facilities: The Decree substantially simplifies the procedures, requirements and formats relating to the authorization, extension and annual report of operations, so that companies can access, operate and manage their programs quickly and easily.

Among the administrative measures included in the Decree are:

• Annual operations report giving total sales and exports.

• Authorization procedures where the commercial description for machinery and equipment and the tariff classification for raw materials are requested.

• Reduction of export commitment from 30% to 10% of total sales to import machinery and equipment.

-Equity and tax neutrality: All companies have the same treatment in tax terms, with zero VAT on their service invoices. In addition, IMMEX companies can obtain a refund of their balances for VAT within a maximum of 20 days.

Oradel Industrial Center is looking for IMMEX companies to take advantage of the industrial park for their manufacturing operations.