International shipping from Mexico: routes, transit and customs
How we operate air, sea and road shipments from Mexico to the Americas, Europe and Asia, with transit times, documentation and final delivery.
An international order crosses three documentary borders before it touches destination
When a corporate client abroad places an order with us, the logistics operation passes through three documentary layers before the cargo touches its destination: the Mexican export, the international transit and the import in the receiving country. Each layer has its own set of documents, its own customs broker and its own processing time. Most delays we see in international shipments are not physical but documentary: a pedimento filled in wrong on the Mexican side, an incorrect tariff classification at destination, a forgotten zoosanitary permit for a textile product with animal components. That is why we structure each international shipment with a documentary file that is built from the moment of the quote and verified before the cargo leaves our plant.
Air freight is our default option for shipments under 200 kilograms or under two cubic meters, and for every order with an urgent deadline. We operate from Mexico City International Airport and from Guadalajara airport, with connections through Dallas, Miami, Houston, Madrid and Frankfurt. The airlines we use most often are Lufthansa Cargo, KLM Cargo, American Airlines Cargo and Estafeta Air Cargo. Typical door-to-door transit is 4 to 7 calendar days to North America, 5 to 9 days to Europe and 7 to 11 days to Asia. Air freight is quoted by chargeable weight or volumetric weight, whichever is higher, with a 1:6 factor for most products.
Sea freight is our option for shipments above 500 kilograms or above five cubic meters, and for clients who can plan 30 to 45 days in advance. We run FCL (full container) and LCL (consolidated) shipments from the Mexican ports of Manzanillo, Veracruz and Lázaro Cárdenas, to Long Beach, Houston, Savannah, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Algeciras, Yokohama and Shanghai. For FCL the standard containers are 20-foot (28 cubic meters) and 40-foot (56 cubic meters); for LCL we consolidate with other corporate shipments to reduce the cost per cubic meter. Typical door-to-door transit is 18 to 25 days to North America, 22 to 30 days to Europe and 28 to 38 days to Asia.
Cross-border road freight is our option for shipments to the United States and Canada when the deadline is more flexible than air but tighter than sea. We operate from our plant to Laredo, Eagle Pass and Nuevo Laredo by road, and from there to Chicago, Atlanta, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal by rail or road. The carriers we use most often are Schneider, Werner, Knight-Swift and FedEx Freight for road, and BNSF and Union Pacific for the rail leg. Typical transit is 6 to 10 calendar days to Chicago or Toronto, and 8 to 14 days to the US west coast.
For clients in Europe and Asia, beyond the sea or air freight we handle the specific documentation required by the destination countries. For the European Union we issue the CE conformity declaration when the product requires it, manage the importer EORI registration and coordinate with the client's customs broker at destination for VAT and internal tax clearance. For the United Kingdom we manage the UKCA declaration when applicable and the GB EORI registration. For Japan, South Korea and Australia we handle the sanitary and phytosanitary permits when the product includes animal or vegetable components, and for China the CIQ system registration for textile and consumer products.
Final delivery of the international shipment is made under the Incoterm agreed in the quote. Under DDP we deliver to the client's premises at destination, assuming all costs and risks from our plant to their door. Under DAP we deliver to the destination airport or port, with the import clearance on the client's account. Under FCA at our Mexican plant, the client contracts the logistics chain from the moment the cargo crosses our warehouse door. For recurring orders to the same destination, we structure a standard DDP flow that we replicate on each shipment without renegotiating terms, which cuts processing time on every new shipment by roughly two business days.
Frequently asked questions about international shipping
What logistics managers, customs brokers and procurement teams ask when coordinating corporate shipments outside Mexico.
What is the transit time to the United States?
By air, 4 to 7 calendar days door to door. By cross-border road, 6 to 14 days depending on the final destination. By sea, 18 to 25 days to Gulf ports and 22 to 28 days to the west coast. For events with a hard date we recommend air or road.
And to Europe?
By air, 5 to 9 calendar days door to door. By sea, 22 to 30 days door to door via Rotterdam or Hamburg, with 3 to 5 days of clearance at destination. For urgent orders the air connection via Madrid cuts transit to 4-7 days.
Can you consolidate several orders in a single shipment?
Yes, when the orders go to the same destination and the same corporate client, we consolidate in a single container or air waybill to reduce unit transport cost. Consolidation applies to FCL and LCL sea shipments, and to air shipments of 100 kilograms and above.
What documents are issued for shipments outside Mexico?
Export pedimento, Carta Porte 3.0, commercial invoice with HS code breakdown, packing list, certificate of origin when applicable under an FTA, and the prior zoosanitary or phytosanitary permits when the product requires them. For the EU we add the CE declaration and the importer EORI registration.
How is the customs at destination handled?
We work with allied customs brokers at the main ports and airports at destination. Under DDP our broker coordinates the clearance and we assume the tax cost; under DAP the client coordinates with their own broker and assumes the cost. For new clients we recommend DDP on the first shipment and migrating to DAP on the third.
Can you ship small samples abroad?
Yes, through international couriers such as DHL, FedEx or UPS. Documentation is handled without pedimento for shipments below USD 50 or 1 kilogram, and with simplified pedimento for amounts between USD 50 and 500. For higher-value samples we use a consolidated manifest with door-to-door delivery.
What if the client wants to bring finished product back to Mexico?
We support returns under the regime of temporarily exported merchandise return, with return pedimento and customs recognition. The product returns to the plant with no tax owed if it was not transformed abroad. If it was transformed, VAT is paid on the value added abroad.
Related FAQs
Other topics tied to the international logistics chain.
Need to quote an international shipment?
Send us the destination, the approximate weight and volume, and the target delivery date. We come back with the transport options, the transit times and the cost breakdown including freight, insurance and documents.