Sheinbaum’s Customs Reform Sparks Debate in Congress, Industry

Mexico’s Finance and Public Credit Committee convened an extended hearing with over 30 representatives from the private and social sectors to examine President Claudia Sheinbaum’s proposed reform of the Customs Law. Committee Chair Deputy Carol Altamirano says the goal is to modernize customs, raise competitiveness and curb tax evasion and smuggling, while keeping debate “orderly and respectful” and grounded in technical evidence.

Altamirano underscores that parliamentary groups will now deliberate to define their positions. She framed the discussion around four pillars: accelerating technology adoption, strengthening authorities, modernizing foreign-trade processes, and combating tax evasion and avoidance. The session forms part of an agreed roadmap to hear “all voices” and anchor decisions in transparency and shared information.

Across parties, lawmakers broadly endorsed modernization but flagged different priorities. MORENA’s José Narro argued the reform should professionalize customs to boost productivity and stamp out corruption. PAN’s Héctor Téllez warned against disproportionate burdens on the private sector that already drives roughly three-quarters of GDP. PT’s Reginaldo Sandoval urged a consensus that targets evasion rather than mere revenue raising. PRI’s Emilio Suárez Licona stressed designing a balanced legal instrument to shut down contraband and restore certainty. MC’s Patricia Flores pressed for infrastructure upgrades, cost reductions, and the use of technology and AI to simplify processes and ensure fair labor conditions.

Business and Civil Society: Modernization Yes, But With Safeguards

Industry groups largely backed digitalization, traceability, and stronger enforcement, while warning about legal certainty, proportional sanctions, and workable implementation.

José Zaragoza, President, CAAAREM stressed that brokers are authorized third parties, not authorities, and need tools if they are to act as a frontline of compliance. Other industry representatives cautioned that removing exclusions of joint liability and expanding obligations could jeopardize firms and jobs, and several called for an indefinite validity of broker patents and clearer limits on shared responsibility.

Eduardo Díaz, Vice President of the Customs and Trade Facilitation Commission, ICC Mexico, warned that extending the validity of guarantee accounts from six to nine months would immobilize capital for up to a year; he urged keeping or shortening the six-month window. Octavio de la Torre, President, CONCANACO SERVYTUR objected to turning labeling-related precautionary seizures into fines as high as 250% and to lengthening guarantee use to 12 months, arguing this could fuel corruption and delay operations. ANTAD and COPARMEX representatives asked for a 12-month vacatio legis after publication, preservation of pedimento rectification, and firm sanctions against technical contraband, paired with proportionality so errors do not bankrupt companies.

INDEX’s Francisco Ortiz flagged uncertainty around virtual transfer operations, certified-company regimes and increased penalties that could deter investment. Parcel and courier associations supported modernization but criticized unclear criteria on registrations, abandonments, and cancellation causes, as well as “excessive, non-graduated” fines. They proposed multi-year registration terms (five to six years) to sustain long-term investment and opposed immediate embargoes in e-commerce clearance.

Legal experts called for alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms, response-time guarantees from customs, and extensive staff training. Sector representatives in chemicals warned that sampling by unqualified personnel risks product integrity; they urged accredited laboratories whose tariff opinions are recognized across all 50 customs posts.

Finally, the Maritime Trade Committee proposed suspending abandonment clocks and waiving storage/custody fees while goods remain in customs depots to prevent logistics bottlenecks.

Alignment With Plan México and Next Steps

Officials stressed the reform aligns with Sheinbaum’s Plan México and the SAT’s Master Plan, which targets digital simplification, voluntary regularization, and data-driven enforcement against evasion and smuggling, plus tighter inter-agency coordination. They argued facilitation tied to strict compliance is essential to competitiveness, resilient supply chains, and job creation.

In a parallel Senate dialogue, legislators framed the overhaul as strategic for security, sovereignty, and growth. They noted that goods and services moving through customs account for roughly 80% of GDP and around 30% of federal tax intake, underscoring the reform’s macro impact. Senate leaders called for a modern, fair framework that strengthens efficiency, raises revenue without stifling trade, and embeds transparency and trust.

With hearings concluded, the Finance Committee and party caucuses will refine positions and possible reservations before the reform heads to the floor. The debate now centers on marrying tougher enforcement and digital traceability with clear liability rules, proportional sanctions, realistic timelines, and legal certainty, so customs can police contraband and evasion without stalling investment, over-penalizing compliant actors, or clogging Mexico’s trade arteries.