With Mexico, two trade agreements are in force at the same time, and each has its own certificate of origin. If your supplier sends the one for one agreement and your customs broker (agente de aduana) declares the other, the preference does not match.
In short: to import from Mexico to Chile you can invoke the Chile-Mexico Free Trade Agreement (FTA, Tratado de Libre Comercio) or the Pacific Alliance Trade Protocol (Protocolo Comercial de la Alianza del Pacífico), and under either one most originating products pay 0% duty instead of 6%. The bilateral agreement uses a certificate that the exporter fills in and signs. The Alliance requires one issued by Mexico's Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía). The 19% VAT (IVA) is paid either way, and food, spirits, cosmetics and medical equipment need a Chilean permit.
Chile-Mexico FTA or Pacific Alliance: which one to invoke
You choose one agreement per operation and apply its full set of rules. They cannot be mixed.
| Criterion | Chile-Mexico FTA | Pacific Alliance |
|---|---|---|
| In force since | July 31, 1999 | May 1, 2016 |
| Who issues the certificate | The exporter: fills it in, signs and dates it | Mexico's Ministry of Economy, at the exporter's request |
| Format | The agreement's own form, in Spanish | The agreement's single format, with an electronic version |
| Certificate validity | 2 years | 1 year |
| Multiple shipments | Can cover identical goods for up to 12 months | Identifies the invoice and the quantity of each shipment |
| Cumulation of origin | Only between Chile and Mexico | Among Chile, Mexico, Peru and Colombia |
The first filter is the rate. Your customs broker checks the product's tariff code in each agreement's schedule. According to the Undersecretariat for International Economic Relations (Subsecretaría de Relaciones Económicas Internacionales, SUBREI), the bilateral agreement has liberalized 98.3% of the tariff universe, and the Alliance started with 92% of tariff lines at 0% and phase-out schedules for the rest, with exceptions such as sugar.
If both give 0%, the difference lies in the paperwork, and you compare it using two items from the table. Under the bilateral agreement, the exporter issues the certificate without going through an authority, and a single certificate can cover identical goods for up to 12 months. Under the Alliance, each certificate is issued by the Ministry of Economy and identifies the invoice and the quantity of the shipment. The Alliance makes sense when the product contains inputs from Peru or Colombia, because it lets you count them as originating, and that cumulation only applies when the goods have 0% duty in all four countries. Which one to invoke in your case is decided by your customs broker, based on the tariff code and what the supplier can issue.
The Alliance certificate can travel in electronic form: Mexico processes it through its single window, and Chilean Customs (Servicio Nacional de Aduanas) receives it through its own (SICEX). A scanned PDF that arrives by email is not equivalent to that transmission, so confirm with your customs broker which channel the certificate will arrive through before shipping.
Refund deadlines and the errors that cost you the preference are covered in the certificate of origin guide.
How much duty and VAT you pay when importing from Mexico to Chile
Without a preference, the import pays 6% on the CIF value (goods, freight and insurance) and 19% VAT on the CIF value plus the duty. With a 0% preference, only the VAT remains.
| Item | General 6% duty | 0% preference |
|---|---|---|
| CIF value | US$10,000 | US$10,000 |
| Duty | US$600 | US$0 |
| VAT 19% | US$2,014 | US$1,900 |
| Total | US$2,614 | US$1,900 |
The condition is that the product originates in Mexico. Buying, storing, relabeling or repacking in Mexico a product made in another country does not give it Mexican origin.
What documents the Mexican supplier provides
The Mexican exporter works with two documents specific to its country: the export entry (pedimento de exportación), which is its declaration to Mexican customs, and the electronic invoice (CFDI 4.0) with the foreign trade supplement (complemento de comercio exterior), which has been in version 2.0 since January 2024. These documents serve to get the cargo out of Mexico.
For Chilean customs, a separate file is put together with the documents to import into Chile:
- Commercial invoice.
- Packing list, which Customs requires when the cargo comes in a container.
- Bill of lading (BL) or air waybill (AWB).
- Certificate of origin under the chosen agreement.
- Insurance policy and breakdown of expenses, if they are not on the invoice.
- Health or technical permits for the product.
The data in both sets of documents must match: description, quantities, values and consignee.
Ports, transit times and Incoterms
Mexico has ports on two oceans. Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas are on the Pacific, the same side as Chile. Veracruz and Altamira are on the Gulf of Mexico. Ask for options on both sides, because the port closest to the factory may not give the best total cost.
As a market reference, based on data published in 2025, a direct service without transshipment from Manzanillo to San Antonio takes about two weeks. It is a schedule figure, not a shipping line's commitment, and for the other ports there is no comparable published transit time. In every ocean freight offer, ask for the shipping line, the departure date, the arrival date and the transshipment ports.
By air, the flight between Mexico City and Santiago takes a few hours, but the real lead time depends on cargo receiving, export clearance, available space and customs clearance in Chile.
On the Incoterm, FOB only works for ocean cargo. If the cargo goes by air or the supplier delivers at its plant, FCA with the exact address is the right term. The comparison between buying FOB and buying CIF is in this guide.
Typical products and their permits
The certificate of origin lowers the duty. The health permit is a different procedure, before a different agency.
| Product | Agency | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Sauces, canned goods, cookies | Regional health authority (Seremi de Salud) | Customs Destination Certificate (Certificado de Destinación Aduanera, CDA) and authorization for use and disposal |
| Tequila, mezcal, beer | Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) | Registration of the importer and of each product, procedure per shipment |
| Fruit, seeds, animal products | SAG | Health requirements by product and origin |
| Cosmetics and medicines | Public Health Institute (ISP) | Import health control and CDA |
| Medical equipment and devices | ISP | CDA, whether or not health registration is mandatory |
| Auto parts, machinery, electronics | Depends on the product | Check case by case; radiocommunication equipment may require the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (SUBTEL) |
The details for each agency are in the guide to SEC, ISP, SAG and SUBTEL permits.
What SICE does in this case and where its responsibility ends
SICE coordinates the operation from the plant in Mexico to your warehouse through its network: freight forwarder, insurance, customs broker and domestic transport. Before shipment, it contacts the supplier and reviews the invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and transport document. The pedimento is processed by the exporter with its agent in Mexico, the import declaration is filed by the customs broker in Chile, and the permits are granted by the SAG, the ISP or the Seremi de Salud.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use both agreements in the same import?
No. You choose one and submit that agreement's certificate.
Does a Chinese product bought from a Mexican distributor pay 0%?
No. Resale, storage and repacking in Mexico do not confer Mexican origin.
Does the Mexican CFDI replace the commercial invoice?
Not for Chile. The CFDI and the pedimento support the exit from Mexico; Chilean customs works with the commercial invoice, the packing list and the transport document.
Can I use the Alliance certificate as a PDF?
It depends on how it arrives. The electronic certificate is transmitted between the single windows of Mexico and Chile; a scanned copy sent by email does not replace that transmission.
Official sources (in Spanish)
- SUBREI: Chile-Mexico FTA. Entry into force, tariff coverage and type of certification.
- Customs: Chile-Mexico Free Trade Agreement. Texts and regulations of the agreement.
- Customs: Pacific Alliance Trade Protocol. Certificate of origin and its electronic version.
- ProChile: self-certification of origin. Format and validity of the bilateral agreement's certificate.
- Mexico's SAT: foreign trade invoice. CFDI supplement 2.0.
- ChileAtiende: CDA for imported food. Procedure before the Seremi de Salud.
If you are evaluating a Mexican supplier, ask for the free complete quote: the total landed cost delivered to your warehouse, in writing, with estimated duties and VAT. You can also write to us on WhatsApp at +56 9 9872 6863.
