You hire talent in Mexico and don't know how to get the equipment to them. It is a more common problem than it seems.
Companies based in the United States, Europe, or other LATAM countries hit the same obstacle when they try to solve it from the outside: importing.
Equipping remote employees in Mexico: Providing hardware - notebooks, monitors, peripherals - to collaborators working from Mexico for a foreign company, without the equipment crossing a customs border. It includes acquisition, pre-delivery adjustments, shipping, and, at the end of the employment relationship, retrieval and secure wiping of the device. |
The real problem: importing hardware to Mexico
Importing hardware to Mexico means dealing with a customs logic that is rarely clear to an IT or HR team operating from the outside.
Customs law requires a customs broker - or customs attorney - to determine the tariff classification for each shipment. Correctly classifying merchandise requires a level of specialization that an IT or HR team does not usually have.
Laptops fall under a specific classification in the chapter on data processing machines. They are generally exempt from tariffs thanks to the trade agreements of which Mexico is a part.
But exempt from tariffs does not mean exempt from costs. The current VAT and a customs processing fee still apply to the customs value. In addition, Mexican official standards (NOM) for computer equipment, both for labeling and safety, must be verified.
The tariff framework is not static. Trade agreements are reviewed, tariffs are adjusted, and classification rules are updated.
A company budgeting for onboarding months in advance risks costs changing before the actual shipment.
What happens when a company tries to solve it alone?
None of these rules are clear for an IT or HR team operating from another country. What we usually see are three scenarios.
1. The team is held up by incorrect documentation
Without a customs broker to manage the documentation properly, or with an incorrectly declared tariff code, clearance is delayed. No one has a concrete release date.
2. The company ends up buying twice
When in doubt, they buy local equipment so the employee can start working. And they end up paying for the one that is still in process.
3. The total cost exceeds the value of the equipment
Between VAT, DTA, and customs broker fees, the cost adds up. To that, you have to add the time of an employee unable to work. The real cost of trying to save on a local purchase usually exceeds what it would have cost to resolve it internally.
Buying locally: taking importation out of the equation
The way to avoid all this is not to improve the importation process. It is to not import.
Acquiring the equipment within Mexico means that the hardware does not cross any border. No customs regime, no customs broker, no NOM to verify.
The challenge that arises: not knowing reliable suppliers in a market that is not yours. And having to handle delivery logistics without a local presence.
At First Plug, we have our own operations in Mexico and throughout LATAM. We are the only partner, without intermediaries, for remote companies. We manage the entire cycle: procurement, pre-configuration, delivery, support, and offboarding.
Importing vs. Buying Locally: A Quick Comparison
Importing from Abroad | Buying Locally in Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
Additional Cost | VAT (16%) + DTA (~0.8%) + customs broker fees | No customs procedures |
Risk of Retention | Depends on the tariff classification and customs broker | Zero: the equipment never crosses a border |
NOM Compliance | Requires verifying NOM-024 and NOM-019 before clearance | Already complied with by the local distribution channel |
Procedures for the Company | Customs broker, documentation, tariff classification | None: no entity required in Mexico |
Budget Predictability | Medium: the tariff framework can change | High: the cost is fixed in the quote |
How to Build a Budget with No Surprises
Before asking for a quote, it is best to have all items clearly defined. This checklist applies whether importing or buying locally.
Cost of the equipment. The price of the laptop or device according to the role configuration.
Shipping and logistics. Shipping within the country is not the same as international shipping with multiple legs.
Transit insurance. Covers loss or damage during transit.
VAT (16%) and DTA (~0.8%), if importing. These are calculated on the customs value, not the list price.
Customs broker fees. Fixed cost associated with clearance.
Verification of NOM-024 and NOM-019. Adds time if the provider does not have this sorted out beforehand.
Time until the employee can work. Translated to cost: the salary of an unproductive role.
Pre-delivery adjustments (MDM). If the equipment needs to arrive pre-configured, that step has an associated time and cost.
Most common mistakes when resolving it without a local partner
Buying without verifying if the supplier invoices locally. This complicates expense deduction and generates accounting issues.
Not anticipating the NOM verification time. If the equipment requires NOM-024/NOM-019 or MDM, those steps add days that are rarely included in the schedule.
Underestimating customs clearance times. Setting a start date without a margin leaves the employee without tools from day one.
Not having a team offboarding plan. Without a clear retrieval and secure erasure process, the hardware remains in limbo.
Coordinating purchase, shipping, and support separately. This multiplies the points of failure in the event of any claim.
Benefits of equipping with First Plug in Mexico
Own operation, no intermediaries. We have our own operations throughout LATAM, including Mexico. Traceability and responsibility at every point of delivery.
A single point of contact for the entire cycle. Acquisition, MDM adjustments, tracked shipping, centralized inventory, and offboarding with secure deletion.
Official Apple Reseller. The Apple line comes with an official warranty and certified technical support.
Return on investment at the end of useful life. The BuyBack program returns part of the investment in hardware to the company when an employee leaves.
Conclusion
Importing hardware to Mexico is not impossible. Laptops start from a more favorable position than in other countries in the region: trade agreements keep them exempt from tariffs.
But the real cost is rarely in the tariff. It is in the VAT, the DTA, the customs broker fees, and the NOM verification. Plus the time it takes to resolve all of that from the outside.
For most companies hiring one or a few employees in the country, buying locally solves this problem at its root. It doesn't just manage it better.
This is not exclusive to Mexico. Each country in the region has its own customs rules, trade agreements, and timelines. In the next guides: how to equip remote employees in Colombia and Brazil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do laptops pay tariffs when imported into Mexico?
Generally no, because they are covered by trade agreements. VAT and customs processing fees do apply to the customs value.
What standards must an imported laptop meet in Mexico?
It must comply with the NOM for labeling (NOM-024) and safety (NOM-019) for computer equipment. Additionally, the tariff classification must be correctly declared by a customs broker.
Is it better to buy in Mexico or import for a single employee?
For an individual employee, buying locally is more predictable. It avoids the customs broker, standards verification, and the risk of customs inspection. Importing makes sense in large volumes with long-term planning.
Does the warranty of a device purchased abroad apply in Mexico?
It depends on the manufacturer and the channel. In general, the international warranty has limitations when the equipment did not enter through an official local distributor or reseller.
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