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🇲🇽 Mercado Libre in Mexico

The region's second market and the toughest on imports from China: duties were raised in 2026 and parcels are taxed from the first dollar.

133.0 Mpopulation
#1marketplace in the country
8–20%ML fee
33.5%tax on a parcel from China

Mercado Libre fees and charges

What the marketplace withholds on every sale. Check the exact rate for your category in your seller dashboard.

Clásica fee
about 8–16%
The basic listing type, rate by category.
Premium fee
+4.5 pp over Clásica
Gives the buyer meses sin intereses — instalments Mexicans are very used to.
MSI instalments
from 4.7% to 12.9%
3 months cost 4.7%, 12 months 12.9%. The seller pays this on top of the fee.
Fee on cheap items
Calculated by weight and price
Since April 2026 the flat fee has been replaced by a calculation based on parcel weight and price band. The old tables with a fixed 25/30/37 pesos no longer apply.

Shipping

The biggest cost after the fee — and the main reason cheap products go into the red.

Free-shipping threshold
from MXN 299 (≈ USD 17)
Above this price you pay for the buyer's shipping.
If the item is below the threshold
The buyer pays for shipping
But you are charged a fee whose size depends on weight and price.
Volumetric weight
L×W×H ÷ 5000
A large light box is charged by volume.
Reputation discount
Affects the rate
The better your reputation, the cheaper the shipping.

Work out the exact cost for your product and price in the free calculator — it has the rates and thresholds of all six countries built in.

Taxes: two routes

The regime you pick determines both your tax burden and whether you can import goods at all.

For an individual or sole trader: individual via the marketplace

Mercado Libre withholds ISR 2.5% and IVA 8% on turnover up to 300,000 pesos a year — that is the final tax. The 16% IVA on the marketplace fee remains a cost.

For a company: Persona Moral

IVA 16% on the markup and ISR 30% on profit. The RESICO regime is incompatible with marketplaces — a frequent mistake when choosing a structure.

Imports and customs

Two import channels with different economics. Picking the wrong channel costs more than picking the wrong product.

Air parcel

From the US and Canada under USMCA: 0% up to USD 50, then 17% and 19%. From everywhere else, China included: a flat 33.5% from the first dollar.

Container

IGI duty by tariff code + DTA 0.8% + IVA 16%.

The 2026 reform

From 1 January 2026 duties were raised on 1,463 tariff lines from countries without agreements — up to 50% for some groups.

Padrón

The importers' register is required above a certain shipment value — check it against your own volume.

What you need to start

The order of steps specific to Mexico — it differs from the rest of the region.

  1. Get an RFC and decide whether you need the Padrón de Importadores
  2. Check whether your product falls under the duties raised in 2026
  3. Budget 33.5% for a test parcel from China — there is no duty-free threshold here
  4. Check the NOM requirements for your category
  5. Work out which is better: a container straight away, or an expensive test by parcel

Useful reading

Breakdowns from our blog, with examples and numbers.

All blog posts → (RU)

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to bring a parcel from China to Mexico?

A flat 33.5% of the shipment value from the first dollar — there is no duty-free threshold for China. From the US and Canada, USMCA gives relief: 0% up to USD 50, then 17% and 19%.

What changed in Mexican duties in 2026?

From 1 January 2026 rates went up on 1,463 tariff lines for countries without trade agreements — China above all. For some groups, including textiles and footwear, rates reach 50%.

Which tax regime should you choose?

A small seller is better off as an individual: the marketplace withholds ISR 2.5% and IVA 8%, and that is the final tax up to 300,000 pesos of turnover. At volume you need a Persona Moral. RESICO is incompatible with marketplaces.

Tools for Mexico

🧮 Profit calculator

Fees, shipping, instalments and taxes in Mexico — it works out net profit and margin. Free.

Open →

📦 PRO bundle

A unit-economics sheet for the country, a customs calculator, an import guide and a country handbook — 19 files.

View →

🏬 Warehouse in Argentina

Receiving, storage and dispatch into Full. No contract, no minimum volume.

Terms →

Let us look at your case

Tell us what your product is and where you plan to sell — we will run the economics and tell you whether Mexico makes sense for you.