On October 23, 2023, the Mexican Ministry of Energy (SENER) issued a Decree on its Federal Official Gazette aimed at combating the illegal importation of fuel. The Decree imposes temporary restrictions on the import of 68 chemicals and petrochemical products and it has entered into effect on October 24, 2023.
Background:
According to the Mexican government, there was extensive illegal trade in the fuel market, amounting to a total of 47 million barrels in 2021. Additionally, the Mexican federal government suffered losses of up to 64 billion Mexican pesos due to the tax evasion of smuggled goods. The Mexican federal government conducted additional inspections at key entry locations, revealing that only 25% of gasoline and diesel met the current regulatory requirements, while the remaining 75% of imported products do not meet regulatory requirements as its concentration of raw materials exceeded domestic industrial usage by 40 times. Therefore, the Mexican government decided to enact this Decree to curb illegal activities of fuel including smuggling.
About the Decree:
- Temporary restrictions on the import of 68 chemicals and petrochemicals, including benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene, cresol, butene, diisobutene, hexane, heptane, propylene tetramer, naphtha, butanol, hexanol, ethyl hexanol, MTBE, isopropyl ether, jet fuel, oil and gasoline with an octane rating below 87.
- Parties requiring restricted imported products must submit an application to the Ministry of Energy (SENER) and demonstrate that the requested import quantities and purposes are crucial for their production processes while adhering to all relevant regulations.
The Mexican government has not yet provided a schedule for lifting the restrictions. ChemRadar will continue to closely monitor the situation and keep you updated with the latest information.
Here is the list of products subject to import restrictions:
If you are interested in the whole list, please contact us. You can also give your Feedbacks at the right corner of ChemRadar website.
Further Information:
Mexico DOF
