In 1964, the Mexican government introduced Maquiladoras as a strategy to attract foreign investment and increase industrialization on the Mexican border. Maquiladora’s process, produce, transform, or repair goods owned by non-Mexican residents (foreign residents). Currently, foreign companies incorporate maquiladoras to take advantage of less expensive labor and tax incentives.

On November 1, 2006, the Mexican government issued a Federal Decree to Promote Manufacturing, Maquila and Export Service Industry (IMMEX Decree) in an effort to spur the Mexican economy, and to reduce administrative and logistical costs. The IMMEX program includes the Development and Operation of the Maquila Export Industry and the Temporary Import Programs to Produce Export Goods (PITEX).

The IMMEX Program allows Mexican companies to temporarily import goods owned by foreign residents in order to process, transform, or repair them to be exported outside of Mexico or to provide the foreign resident export services. Generally, if certain requirements are met, the Maquila program provides the following benefits: (1) no permanent establishment is created by the foreign resident in Mexico, (2) imported goods are free of import tax and value added tax, and (3) in certain cases the foreign resident is relieved from complying with certain customs and tax obligations.

The goods are classified as (1) raw materials, (2) shipping containers and boxes, (3) machinery, equipment, tools, spare parts, among others.
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