Manufacturing and Trade
New Mexico welcomes commercial traffic through its ports at Columbus and Santa Teresa. These ports are easily accessible from major highways both in the U.S. and Mexico. Commercial traffic may not cross at the Antelope Wells Port of Entry. The New Mexico Border Authority worked with USDA under the Secretary of State to have entomologists on site during the chile season at the Columbus port of entry to avoid delays on ID of pests.
Both U.S. and Mexican ports are open for commercial traffic during the following hours:
Columbus/Palomas:
M – F: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Chile Season Hours
Columbus/Palomas:
Cargo Facility Hours
M – F: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Commercial hours are extended at the Columbus POE during the chili import season.
Contact NMBA at (575) 589-6501 or the Columbus Port of Entry at (575) 531-2686 for more information.
Santa Teresa/Jeronimo
M – F: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM.
Santa Teresa has a full functioning cold storage unit.
Port User Fees and Transponders For each northbound trip, CBP collects a user fee of $13.40. If you make more than 20 crossings a year, take advantage of the convenient User Fee Decal Program rate of $408.84 per year for unlimited trips. For more information, visit the User Fee dtaps.cbp.gov website.
Customs Brokers
Custom Brokers are available to facilitate commercial crossings at both U.S. and Mexican ports. Brokers that are available locally at the Columbus and Santa Teresa ports of entry are listed below. Phone numbers include the international dialing code
Custom Brokers
U.S. Customs and Agricultural Regulations
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforces U.S. Customs and agricultural regulations at border ports of entry. Many tariffs on trade with Mexico were eliminated by NAFTA. Customs documentation and inspection, however, are still required for both imports and exports. Customs regulations will soon require the advance electronic presentation of commercial imports and exports to and from the U.S. via electronic data interchange systems known as ACE for imports and AES for exports. The electronic presentation must be filed at least one hour before the cargo arrives at the designated border port of entry. Additional information is available from your customs broker or the following CBP.GOV website. More information concerning ACE and AES can be found on the CBP.GOV webpage.
Imports from Mexico
Documentation generally required for imports includes
- Bill of lading,
- An invoice from the seller,
- A packing list (if appropriate), and
- A completed Customs entry manifest. For personal, occasional or minor imports valued less than $2,000, the informal entry process may be utilized.
Documentation for informal entries is typically simpler and can generally be filed during entry at the port, but may be subject to duties and fees. Imports that are both large in value and in size will be considered formal entries and will be subject to ACE electronic submittal by a customs broker.
Additional information about Customs import and agricultural regulations and tips for new importers and exporters can be found at CBP.GOV.
Exports to Mexico
CBP requires an electronic submittal from a customs broker by AES for each export to Mexico. In addition, a license is required for the export of certain defense articles and services. More information is available at CBP.GOV.
Food and Drug Administration Import Regulations
The Bioterrorism Act of 2002 added import regulations for many foodstuffs and food products entering the United States. The regulations apply to live food animals such as cattle, feed for food animals, fish and seafood, bakery goods, dairy products and eggs, fruits and vegetables, candies, beverages, and processed food products.
Foreign processors of food products must register with the Food and Drug Administration prior to shipping products to the United States. The registration requirement, however, generally does not apply to Mexican ranchers and farmers whose products are sent to the United States. Prior notice must be submitted to FDA at least two hours prior to the arrival of foodstuffs or food products at a port of entry. The prior notice may be submitted as part of the electronic notification required by CBP or may be submitted separately to FDA.
Prior notice may be filed by the exporter, importer, U.S. agent, or a customs broker.
Mexican Customs Regulations
Aduana Mexico is the customs agency of the Mexican federal government. Aduana Mexico maintains custom operations that include commercial and non-commercial transactions at both Jeronimo and Palomas. Similar to the U.S. side, Mexican customs processes both imports and exports at the border.
Mexico also has a “small importation” category similar to CBP’s “informal entries” for cargo valued at less than $3,000. Mexico requires import and export documentation including a completed “pedimento” or import/export form for all commercial crossings. Customs brokers are usually required to facilitate the process. More information is available (in Spanish) at Aduana Mexico.