Shipping to Mexico DDP versus DAP: who is the importer?

SAT's Anexo 22 lists DAP and DDP among the invoicing terms. SE's exporter guidance explains that Incoterms do not replace a contract or applicable law.

Official reference: SAT: current RGCE Anexo 22 pedimento instructions ↗ · Secretaría de Economía: exporter contract guidance ↗

Ask the seller to show the exact wording, named place and contract version in its proposal. Do not rely on a short sales message saying delivery included. Keep the delivery term with the product description and the services promised. Ask the parties to explain their responsibilities in plain language rather than assuming they interpret the label identically. This guide does not reproduce private contractual rules or decide a dispute between buyer and seller.

SAT's importer guidance lists the conditions for registration in the padrón de importadores, the importer register.

Official reference: SAT: importer registration ↗

Ask which person or company is intended to appear as importer in the Mexican operation and have the specialist review that party's setup. Keep buyer, recipient, seller and importer roles distinct if they are not the same. A foreign seller's offer should explain the proposed arrangement rather than leave the name to be filled in after dispatch. Do not assume a delivery term creates a Mexican importer registration. If the party has not been decided, make that uncertainty explicit in the quote request so the review can start with the actual open question.

Ask who arranges collection, international transport, any warehouse handoff, customs coordination and delivery in Mexico. Keep the answers linked to the seller's written proposal. Ask which parts of the plan are already arranged and which still need an identified provider or company contact. A term alone may not give your logistics team the phone number or practical instruction it needs for a handoff. Write the responsibilities in a simple list with the named party for each stage. If the seller and buyer describe the scope differently, resolve that difference before relying on either description as the agreed shipment plan.

Identify who will provide the invoice, packing information, technical sheets and manufacturing-origin records. Ask the intended importer who controls the company file and who can answer a customs document question. If the seller proposes to manage clearance, ask how the licensed customs professional will obtain the product and importer information needed for review. Keep document responsibility separate from the carrier's booking responsibility. A transport contact may know the pickup time without knowing the manufacturing facts. The customs discussion should make clear where each fact comes from and who can confirm it if a discrepancy appears before dispatch.

Ask the parties to explain how their proposal addresses government charges and the requested shipment services. Compare that explanation with the actual scope being reviewed by the customs broker. This site provides no rates, amounts or cost estimates; actual costs come from the customs broker in the quote. Keep a distinction between something included in the seller's proposal and something confirmed for the Mexican customs operation. If a particular service has not been discussed, ask rather than treating it as included by default. Record any exclusion or condition in writing so purchasing can understand what would still need a separate arrangement.

Gather the exact model descriptions, specifications, manufacturing countries and proposed route. Ask the specialist which product questions need review for classification and the applicable controls. A seller's confidence about delivery does not answer an unresolved technical or importer question. If the goods have changed since the quotation, send the revised details to the responsible contacts. Avoid assuming that a broad promise covers products not described in the original proposal. Keep any supporting origin or standards material ready for professional follow-up. The goods, not the delivery label alone, determine the information the customs professional needs to discuss the actual filing arrangement.

Name the person who can approve a route change and the person responsible for responding to a missing document request. Ask how the seller will communicate a product substitution or delayed warehouse release. Keep the receiving site involved if delivery access or unloading needs change. A clear change process is especially useful when the buyer expected the seller to manage much of the movement. Do not let an unresolved disagreement about scope become an instruction to dispatch without review. Keep the original contract and each confirmed revision together so the parties can distinguish an agreed change from a suggestion in a message thread.

In the quote form, describe the goods, intended importer, pickup country and Mexican destination. State the proposed DDP or DAP wording and the part of the arrangement you want clarified. Explain whether the seller has already arranged a carrier or a customs professional. Leave an unknown classification blank and ask for advice if the crossing has not been chosen. Do not upload the contract or add confidential transaction documents to the public request. Keep them ready for the appropriate follow-up. A useful request makes the unresolved responsibility visible so the specialist can review the proposed operation rather than guessing what the seller intended.