🇲🇽Import Korean Cosmetics to Mexico
Registration, duties and freight — what a distributor needs to bring K-beauty into Mexico, with vetted Korean suppliers at 0% commission and one logistics partner from supplier to shelf.
Why Mexico
Mexico is Latin America’s second-largest beauty market and one of the fastest-growing destinations for K-beauty, driven by young consumers and marketplace commerce. Ordinary cosmetics do not require pre-market registration, making entry faster than most of the region. Since January 2026, however, Mexico has raised tariffs on imports from countries without an FTA — Korea included — so landed cost has to be checked per HS code.
Importing to Mexico in small volumes?See how we handle consolidation, the importer connection and Spanish label review in one place.Product registration in Mexico
Importer of record
A Mexican importer with a customs registry (padrón de importadores) handles clearance and market responsibility.
NOM-141 labelling
Spanish labels per NOM-141 (product name, ingredients, lot, importer data) are mandatory — stickering before retail is common practice.
No pre-market registration
Ordinary cosmetics need no COFEPRIS pre-approval; only products with therapeutic claims require registration.
Typical lead time: With labelling prepared, first import can typically move as soon as freight is booked — no per-SKU approval wait.
Duties & taxes
Korea and Mexico have no FTA, so MFN duty rates apply — and they went up. A decree published on 29 December 2025 raised tariffs on 1,463 tariff lines from countries without a Mexican FTA, effective 1 January 2026 through 31 December 2026, with increases ranging from 10% to 50%. Cosmetics are among the sectors covered, so the rate that applied in 2025 is no longer a safe assumption: check your specific HS code before pricing.
Mexican IVA is 16%, collected at import on customs value + duty.
Estimate your landed cost per HS code with our free import duty calculator. Open the import duty calculator
Regulations, duty and tax information is general guidance and may change. We confirm the exact requirements for your product and HS code before every shipment.
Shipping from Korea to Mexico
We consolidate LCL and FCL cargo from Busan every week. Below are indicative LCL rates from our internal tariff — the same data our freight team quotes from.
| Destination port | LCL rate | Transit |
|---|---|---|
| MANZANILLO | $65 / CBM | 15 days |
| AGUASCALIENTES (VIA MANZANILLO) | $145 / CBM | 18 days |
| ALTAMIRA (VIA MANZANILLO) | $170 / CBM | 19 days |
| CANCUN (VIA MANZANILLO) | $360 / CBM | 20 days |
| CUERNAVACA (VIA MANZANILLO) | $160 / CBM | 20 days |
| ENSENADA | $45 / CBM | 15 days |
| GUADALAJARA (VIA MANZANILLO) | $130 / CBM | 18 days |
| HERMOSILLO (VIA MANZANILLO) | $200 / CBM | 20 days |
| LAZARO CARDENAS | $55 / CBM | 21 days |
| LEON (VIA MANZANILLO) | $160 / CBM | 19 days |
| MATAMOROS (VIA MANZANILLO) | $195 / CBM | 20 days |
| MAZATLAN (VIA MANZANILLO) | $150 / CBM | 19 days |
| MEXICALI (VIA ENSENADA) | 220 (MIN 4CBM) | 22 days |
| MEXICO CITY (VIA MANZANILLO) | $130 / CBM | 19 days |
| MONTERREY (VIA MANZANILLO) | $130 / CBM | 19 days |
| PACHUCA (VIA MANZANILLO) | $145 / CBM | 19 days |
| PROGRESO (VIA MANZANILLO) | $265 / CBM | 21 days |
| PUEBLA (VIA MANZANILLO) | $145 / CBM | 19 days |
| QUERETARO (VIA MANZANILLO) | $150 / CBM | 19 days |
| SALTILLO (VIA MANZANILLO) | $160 / CBM | 20 days |
| SAN LUIS POTOSI (VIA MANZANILLO) | $155 / CBM | 19 days |
| TAMPICO (VIA MANZANILLO) | $165 / CBM | 19 days |
| TIJUANA (VIA ENSENADA) | 170 (MIN 4CBM) | 19 days |
| TOLUCA (VIA MANZANILLO) | $145 / CBM | 19 days |
| VERACRUZ (VIA MANZANILLO) | $180 / CBM | 20 days |
Indicative LCL ocean rates from Busan, Korea — from TY's internal tariff, updated regularly. Ocean freight portion only; your final door-to-door quote covers the full cost.
How importing with TY works
Tell us your product
Send your category, target price and market — the matching form takes 3 minutes.
Supplier match + all-in quote
Within one business day we propose a vetted Korean supplier and a total landed-cost quote.
Samples & first order
We arrange sample shipping and consolidate small first orders with weekly LCL departures.
Ship, clear, deliver
TY handles export docs, ocean or air freight, customs coordination and final delivery — tracked on our portal.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need product registration to import Korean cosmetics to Mexico?
For ordinary cosmetics, no — Mexico requires no pre-market registration, only compliant Spanish NOM-141 labelling and an importer of record. That makes it one of the fastest large markets to test K-beauty. Because only an importer enrolled in the padrón de importadores can clear customs, we ship DAP: TY handles the label review, freight and delivery, and your importer clears with the documents we prepare.
How long does shipping from Korea to Mexico take?
LCL from Busan to MANZANILLO takes about 15 days port-to-port. Add customs clearance and inland delivery for the full door-to-door timeline. We consolidate weekly, so small first orders move fast.
What does DAP shipping mean for my order?
DAP (Delivered at Place) means TY delivers to the agreed place in Mexico — pickup in Korea, export clearance, ocean or air freight and final delivery are all on us. Import clearance, duty and taxes are settled by the importer of record, because only a locally registered importer may clear customs there. We prepare the clearance documents and quote our side in full up front, so the only open variable is the duty your HS code attracts.
More import guides for Mexico
Ready to source and ship from Korea?
Tell us your product and market — we reply with a matched Korean supplier and an all-in landed-cost quote within one business day. 0% commission: we make money on shipping, not on you.