Mexican Customs Break Collection Record

Mexican customs collected a historic amount following President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s decision to have the Mexican Army and Navy supporting their operations, reported the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP).

“At the end of 2021, the accumulated collection in Mexican customs registered a historical figure: MX$1.31 billion (US$65.12 million), the maximum collection since records have been kept. The National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) reported that it collected MX$133 million (US$6.42 million) more than during 2020, a growth of 15.39 percent following the instruction of the President of the Republic to fight corruption and increase collection. Similarly, last year MX$30 million (US$1.45 million) more were collected compared to 2019,” reads SHCP’s press release.

Customs in Nuevo Laredo, Manzanillo, Veracruz, Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico City International Airport, Tuxpan, Altamira Ciudad Juarez, Coatzacoalcos and Matamoros collected the most in the country, said SHCP. The 10 customs that increased their collections the most were: Ojinaga, Torreon, San Luis Rio Colorado, Ciudad Miguel Aleman, Ciudad Camargo, Agua Prieta and Mexicali. The SHCP attributes their success to the presence of the armed forces. Ojinaga’s case was the most successful, registering a 410 percent growth.

“This is one of the most controversial issues in recent times. What is the reason for our president to make such an important decision as calling on the Navy and the Army to coordinate with General Customs Administration (AGA) in the customs of the country? We can imagine many things, but the truth is that President López Obrador has better and more information about what is going on. As such, CAAREM gave him a vote of confidence so that we could soon have a world-class customs system,” said Arturo Reyes, President, Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (CAAREM), as reported by MBN.

Thanks to the record collection, customs are now one of Mexico’s most important sources of income, said Horacio Duarte, Head, ANAM. Foreign trade and its tariffs are vital to Mexico’s economy, said Duarte, who pointed to the record collection as a sign that trade had been successfully reactivated.