Mexico's Secretaría de Economía (SE) has published amendments to Annex 2.4.1 of their Agreement on Rules and Criteria in Foreign Trade which identifies tariff classifications requiring demonstration of compliance with Mexican Official Standards (NOMs) at the point of importation. The amendment updates multiple product categories and aligns tariff classifications with the technical scope of applicable standards.
The updated Annex specifically references the special Mexican tariff headings 8517.13.01, 8517.14.91, 8517.18.99, 8517.62.17 and 8517.69.99 associated with smartphones, cellular telephones, mobile terminal
equipment, and telecommunications apparatus capable of operating within the frequency bands covered by NOM‑221‑SCFI‑2017 and NOM‑221/2‑SCFI‑2018, both of which apply to mobile terminal equipment capable of utilizing radio spectrum or connecting to telecommunications networks.
The Secretariat states that certain tariff classifications subject to these standards had previously not been properly reflected in Annex 2.4.1, resulting in regulatory gaps. The amendment therefore expands and clarifies coverage of applicable HS classifications to ensure compliance is
verified at the point of entry into Mexico.
The updated Annex specifically references tariff headings associated with smartphones, cellular telephones, mobile terminal equipment, and telecommunications apparatus capable of operating within the frequency bands covered by NOM‑221/2‑SCFI‑2018. The amendment ensures that products falling within those classifications are subjected to the applicable conformity assessment requirements during importation.
Manufacturers, suppliers and others concerned with telecom products for the Mexican market which are affected, should ensure that the product classifications are aligned with the updated Annex to avoid difficulties with customs clearance and market access.
As a critical reminder, tariff codes 8517.13.01, 8517.14.91 and 8517.18.99 (associated with smartphones/cellular telephones) also trigger safety standard NOM-001-SCFI-2018 as well as commercial information standard NOM-024-SCFI-2013.
For further information and/or assistance with certification of telecom products for Mexico or other Latin-American countries, please contact Luis.Gonzalez@nemko.com or Michelle.Furrow@nemko.com,
(This article is based on Regulatory Monitor notices shared by Geremy Bradshaw; edited by T.Sollie)
