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Mexico Mandates NOM Compliance for Phones via Courier Channels from July 1

Through an amendment to foreign trade rules published in the official gazette, Mexico’s Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía) has formally removed the NOM certification exemption for mobile phones imported through courier and postal channels.

The new rule takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Core of the policy

01 — From “channel exemption” to “unified supervision”

Previously, Mexican customs in practice granted NOM certification exemptions for mobile phones among low-value goods sent via courier and postal channels, allowing large volumes of cross-border e-commerce parcels, samples, and personal-use phones to clear customs quickly without a NOM certificate.

Core changes

  • No channel differences: all import channels — general trade, commercial express, postal parcels — follow the same NOM certification requirement
  • No value threshold: the low-value exemption allowance is removed; regardless of declared value, the phones concerned must clear customs with a certificate

Scope of impact

The new rule covers only mobile phones, across 3 Mexican customs tariff codes:

  • 8517.13.01: cellular network smartphones with an operating system
  • 8517.14.91: other feature-type mobile phone equipment
  • 8517.18.99: other mobile communication terminal products

Special note: other consumer electronics categories such as tablets, laptops, wearables, and headsets are not covered by this adjustment for now and remain under the existing supervision rules.

02 — The two mandatory NOM standards explained

NOM-001-SCFI-2018 

Electrical safety certification

Mexico’s mandatory electrical safety standard for electronic and electrical products, technically based on IEC 62368-1; the previous NOM-001-SCFI-1993 has been fully repealed.

Test items:

  • Full safety assessment: protection against electric shock, mechanical strength, temperature rise, fire resistance, abnormal operation, and more

Certification mode:

  • Testing must be completed at a laboratory recognized by Mexico’s Ministry of Economy, followed by review and certificate issuance by a local authorized certification body (such as ANCE or NYCE)

Key characteristics:

  • The core qualification for customs clearance — without the certificate, shipments are stopped directly at customs

NOM-024-SCFI-2013 

Labeling and documentation compliance

The mandatory regime for product labeling and documentation at market entry, focused on procedural and formal compliance.

Core requirements:

  • Product nameplates, safety warnings, and user manuals must be in Spanish;
  • The standard NOM certification mark, information on the local Mexican importer, and manufacturer information must be indicated;
  • Technical documentation must be filed per official requirements

Certification mode:

  • Document review only, with no additional laboratory testing, but it must be used together with the safety certificate

Common compliance pitfalls