Free tool
Know your margin per unit before you ship. Real tariff rates by category, IVA and customs fees, freight, and Amazon MX fees, with USMCA 0% duty applied automatically for US-origin products.
Landed cost is everything it takes to put one unit in a Mexican warehouse, ready to sell: the product itself, import duty (0% for US-origin goods under USMCA, the full LIGIE tariff for everyone else), IVA at 16% (creditable when you sell), customs processing and broker fees, international freight, and border operations. If you sell on Amazon MX, referral and FBA fees complete the picture. The math and the category-level detail are covered in our Amazon Mexico unit economics breakdown.
Two things founders consistently get wrong: treating IVA as a cost (it is creditable, and ignoring the credit understates your margin), and forgetting the one-time compliance layer, from COFEPRIS registration to NOM labeling, which varies from $0 to $3,500 USD by category. The import itself needs a resolved importer of record, which is where 74% of stalled US brand expansions stall.
If the margin looks good here, the next question is whether your specific SKUs clear regulation and what the live shelf looks like, which is exactly what the free Mexico Test Plan answers, SKU by SKU. Or see the full picture of selling on Amazon Mexico and Mexico market entry.
How is landed cost calculated for Mexico?
Landed cost per unit = product cost + import duty + IVA (16%, creditable) + customs fees (DTA, prevalidation, broker) + freight + border operations + marketplace fees if you sell on Amazon MX. This calculator uses real tariff rates by product category from Mexico's LIGIE schedule.
What import duty do US products pay in Mexico?
US-origin consumer products enter Mexico at 0% duty under USMCA. Non-FTA goods (most Asian-origin products) pay the full LIGIE tariff for their category, typically 5% to 25%, plus a 33.5% tariff on certain imports since August 2025.
Is IVA part of the landed cost?
IVA (16%) is paid at import on the customs value plus duty, but it is creditable against the IVA you collect when selling in Mexico. This calculator shows both numbers: total landed cost including IVA, and effective landed cost after the IVA credit, which is the one that matters for margin.
What does NOM compliance cost?
It depends on the category: labeling-only categories like cosmetics (NOM-141) run lower, while supplements and food (NOM-051) involve label redesign and testing. One-time compliance costs typically range from $500 to $3,500 USD per category, shown in the full breakdown.
How accurate are these numbers?
Tariff rates come from Mexico's LIGIE schedule by product category, and operating costs reflect typical rates for D2C shipments. They are planning estimates: for a decision-grade number on your exact catalog, the free Mexico Test Plan runs SKU-level regulation and live marketplace data.
The free Mexico Test Plan runs your actual catalog against Mexico's regulation and the live Amazon MX shelf: which SKUs lead, which need fixes, and which should stay home.
Get your free Mexico Test Plan