Goods that qualify for preferential treatment under the terms of these agreements are exempt from the requirements of the Directive. However, in practice, most all goods shipped to Mexico will be affected, either directly or indirectly by the August 30, notice. The Directive provides comprehensive rules of origin for a wide range of goods. Any excess duties paid will be refunded when a preferential claim is made. The Directive establishes two different types of certification procedures.
Soft certification applies to all products other than apparel, textiles or footwear.
Currently, only apparel, textiles, and footwear products are subject to hard certification. All products subject to the Directive must be accompanied by proof of origin. All documents must be in Spanish or English. When documents are prepared in a language other than Spanish or English, a Spanish translation must be provided. The origin of merchandise will be determined according to the rules of origin published in Annex I of the notice.