Shipping From the US to Mexico: Carriers, Costs and Customs

TL;DR: Shipping to Mexico from the US starts with the carrier. USPS hands parcels to Correos de México. UPS and FedEx clear them as express couriers. Qualifying US courier parcels up to USD 50 skip import duty and VAT, if the DTA customs fee is paid. Eligible simplified courier parcels pay a 17% global rate over USD 50 through 117. Over USD 117 up to 2,500, it's 19%. UPS and FedEx require the buyer's tax ID.

Mexico taxes US courier parcels valued above USD 50. That’s per Mexico’s 2026 foreign trade rules (rule 3.7.35). So shipping to Mexico is more than a label. You pick a carrier and a customs path. For UPS or FedEx, you collect your buyer’s tax ID. Then you decide who pays duties.

This guide covers each step for US sellers. It compares USPS, UPS® and FedEx services to Mexico. It shows how to compare live rates for your own parcel. It explains Mexico’s duty tiers in plain terms. It ends with a customs checklist you can copy.

How Do You Ship a Package From the US to Mexico?

Start by choosing a carrier and service. That choice sets your customs path. Next, collect the buyer’s phone, plus a tax ID for UPS or FedEx. Describe each item precisely, with real values. Print the label and customs forms together. Finally, tell the buyer who pays any duties.

Here is the full sequence:

1. Pick the service. Match it to weight, value and speed.
2. Collect recipient details. Get full name, address, postal code and phone.
3. Add the tax ID. For UPS or FedEx, use the buyer’s RFC. FedEx also accepts a CURP.
4. Describe every item. List what it is, quantity and value.
5. Print the label and paperwork. Include the commercial invoice where needed.
6. Set duty expectations. Tell the buyer before the parcel ships.

Which Carriers Ship From the US to Mexico?

USPS, UPS® and FedEx all ship to Mexico. USPS hands mail to Correos de México for delivery. UPS and FedEx deliver as express couriers. That difference changes how customs taxes the parcel. It also changes tracking and the paperwork you file.

USPS to Mexico: Postal Route Through Correos de México

USPS mail enters Mexico’s postal system. Correos de México holds it through customs review. Limits come from the USPS International Mail Manual for Mexico:

• First-Class Package International Service: up to 4 lb.
• Priority Mail International: up to 70 lb.
• Priority Mail Express International: up to 70 lb.

USPS lists Global Express Guaranteed as suspended. That started September 29, 2024.

UPS® to Mexico: Standard vs Worldwide Services

UPS offers ground-style and air services to Mexico. UPS® Standard to Mexico usually takes 4–8 business days. It accepts packages up to 150 lb. Length plus girth can reach 165 inches.

Faster options are UPS Worldwide Expedited®, Saver® and Express®. For lane-by-lane timing, see how long UPS® Standard takes.

FedEx to Mexico: Using Your Own Account

FedEx ships to and from Mexico. On multi-carrier platforms, FedEx often uses your own account. You pay your own FedEx account rates. Check that your account covers international service first.

Which Carrier Fits Which Order?

The table compares customs path, weight limit and published speed. Quote your own parcel for the price.

Service	Customs path	Max weight	Published speed
USPS First-Class Package International Service	Postal	4 lb	Not listed
UPS® Standard	Express courier	150 lb	4–8 business days
UPS Worldwide Expedited®	Express courier	Per UPS	Faster than Standard
UPS Worldwide Saver®	Express courier	Per UPS	Express
UPS Worldwide Express®	Express courier	Per UPS	Express
USPS Priority Mail International	Postal	70 lb	Not listed
FedEx International (your account)	Express courier	Per FedEx	Per FedEx

Rules of thumb:

• Parcels up to 4 lb can use First-Class Package International Service.
• Heavier parcels need UPS® Standard, Priority Mail International or an express service.
• Urgent orders suit the UPS Worldwide express services.

How Much Does It Cost to Ship to Mexico?

Cost depends on service, weight and size. Duties are a separate bill. Prices change by parcel, route and account. Quote your box before you buy. Check billable weight before you compare services. Then set aside room for possible duties.

What Drives the Label Price

• Service level. Postal, standard and express services price differently.
• Billable weight. Carriers bill the higher of actual or dimensional weight.
• Package size. Bulky, light boxes can price like heavy ones.
• Surcharges. Carriers may add fees by zone or size.

Run your own box through a free shipping calculator first. It shows live rates for your weight and route.

Duties Are a Second Cost

The label price covers transport only. Mexico may tax the goods on arrival. Who pays that bill is your choice. The next section explains the tiers.

What Duties and Taxes Does Mexico Charge on US Parcels?

It depends on value and carrier. Qualifying courier parcels from USMCA countries skip import duty and VAT up to USD 50. Eligible simplified courier parcels pay 17% over USD 50 through 117. Over USD 117 up to 2,500, it’s 19%. Postal parcels follow separate rules. Both paths start at the same USD 50 line.

Courier Shipments (UPS®, FedEx): The USD 50, 117 and 2,500 Lines

Express couriers clear low-value parcels through a simplified procedure. It covers goods up to USD 2,500 per recipient. A “global rate” is one flat rate. It replaces separate duty and VAT. Mexico applies it to the value of the goods.

Customs value (per shipment)	Courier parcel from a USMCA country	Postal parcel (USPS)
Up to USD 50	No import duty or VAT, if conditions are met	No duty, VAT or DTA, if unrestricted
Over USD 50 to USD 117	17% global rate	Generally 19% (postal form D1)
Over USD 117 to USD 2,500	19% global rate	Generally 19% to USD 1,000; broker above
Over USD 2,500	Formal customs entry	Customs broker required

Sources: RGCE 2026 rules 3.7.2, 3.7.5 and 3.7.35 (SAT); ANAM courier rules.

Each courier tier carries conditions. The parcel travels on an air waybill or bill of lading. The goods can’t be subject to non-tariff restrictions. The USD 50 tier also requires paying the DTA customs fee. Restricted goods leave the simplified path.

Postal Shipments (USPS): The USD 50 Line

Correos de México presents postal parcels to customs. Goods up to USD 50 per recipient skip duty, VAT and DTA. They can’t be subject to non-tariff restrictions. Up to USD 1,000, customs generally applies a 19% global rate on postal form D1. Rule 3.7.6 exceptions and import restrictions still apply. Above that, plan on a customs broker.

What If Your Goods Aren’t From the US?

These simplified courier rules refer to shipments arriving from USMCA countries. That differs from qualifying goods for preferential origin under a trade agreement. Confirm the applicable procedure with your carrier or customs broker.

Who Pays: DDU vs DDP

Someone pays duties before delivery. Under DDU, the buyer pays on arrival. Under DDP, you prepay as the shipper. UPS notes card-paying shippers default to DDU. Surprise duty bills can lead to refused parcels. Tell buyers at checkout how duties work.

What Customs Information Does Mexico Require?

UPS and FedEx need the buyer’s tax ID and full details. That means name, address and phone. FedEx also accepts a CURP instead of an RFC. FedEx adds the buyer’s email for e-commerce orders. Missing data can send a parcel back at your cost. Precise item descriptions matter just as much.

Recipient RFC or CURP, Phone and Email

Mexico tightened these rules for express parcels in 2025. FedEx Mexico lists what each shipment carries:

• Full name and full delivery address.
• RFC, Mexico’s federal tax ID.
• CURP, if the buyer has no RFC.
• Phone number.
• Email, when the order came from an e-commerce platform.

FedEx says tourists can give a home tax ID or passport number. UPS Mexico requires the consignee’s tax ID on all shipments. Missing details can mean a return at your expense. They can also mean abandonment to Mexican customs.

Collect the tax ID at checkout, not later. A note in your order form costs nothing. A returned international parcel costs postage twice.

Item Descriptions That Clear Customs

Vague descriptions stall parcels. FedEx Mexico rejects terms like “gift” or “miscellaneous items.” Write what it is, its use and material. “Cotton T-shirt, adult, 2 units” works. “Clothing” alone invites questions.

Commercial Invoice and USPS Customs Forms

USPS says Mexico taxes declared values above US $50. Correos de México requests a commercial invoice for those goods. For commercial postal parcels, place two invoice copies inside. Each USPS service also uses its own customs form.

When You Need EEI on the US Side

US export filing has its own trigger. EEI is generally required when goods under one Schedule B or HTS code exceed $2,500. The value is aggregated per code, from one USPPI to one ultimate consignee on a single conveyance. Domestic and foreign goods under the same code are counted separately. Some goods need EEI at any value, like licensed items. The rule sits in 15 CFR 30.37.

What Can’t You Ship to Mexico?

Mexico bans some goods by mail outright. USPS lists e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, jewelry and powders. Perishable foods and pork products are also barred. Chocolate needs prior authorization. Cosmetics need health-agency approval. Check your carrier’s list before you sell. Restricted goods may also leave fast-track clearance.

From the USPS Mexico listing:

• Prohibited: ammunition, coins, banknotes and precious metals.
• Prohibited: jewelry, precious stones and other valuables.
• Prohibited: electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
• Prohibited: pork meat and perishable foods, fruit and vegetables.
• Prohibited: powders of all kinds, and pills or capsules.
• Restricted: chocolate needs authorization from Mexico’s commerce secretary.
• Restricted: cosmetics and toilet articles need public-health approval.

UPS and FedEx keep their own lists. Mexico’s courier rules also exclude hard-to-identify powders and liquids.

US-to-Mexico Customs Checklist

Run this list before every Mexico label. It covers the carrier, the buyer data and the paperwork. It also covers duties and US export filing. Each item maps to a section above. A skipped item can trigger a hold. Keep it next to your packing station.

1. Service fits the parcel’s weight, value and speed.
2. Recipient full name, street address and postal code.
3. Recipient phone number.
4. Buyer’s tax ID for UPS or FedEx (FedEx also accepts a CURP).
5. Buyer email for FedEx e-commerce orders.
6. Item-level descriptions, quantities and values in USD.
7. HS code for each product, where you have it.
8. Commercial invoice, with two copies inside commercial USPS parcels.
9. No prohibited or restricted items in the box.
10. Duties set: buyer pays on arrival, or you prepay.
11. EEI filing or exemption checked using aggregated code values and applicable exceptions.

What Happens Without a Structured Cross-Border Workflow?

Without a set workflow, data gets lost between tools. A missing RFC stalls the label. A vague description triggers a customs hold. Rates get checked on one carrier only. Each gap costs time or a returned parcel. Buyers notice every delay.

Common leaks look like this:

• Tax IDs collected by email after the order ships.
• One carrier quoted, even when another fits better.
• Duty terms left unexplained, so buyers refuse delivery.

A multi-carrier platform closes those gaps in one place.

Compare USPS and UPS® Rates to Mexico in Rollo Ship

Rollo Ship is free shipping software for US and Canadian shippers. It compares USPS and discounted UPS® rates to Mexico. It creates the customs paperwork for each carrier. FedEx works through your own account. You pick the service that fits each order.

*Discounts off UPS daily rates. Rates are limited to shipping from the U.S. only. Rates and any applicable discounts are subject to change at any time without notice.

Rollo Ship is a multi-carrier shipping platform. It connects USPS, UPS®, FedEx, Canada Post and Purolator. FedEx and Purolator run on your own accounts. Rollo is not a carrier. For built-in USPS and UPS® services, you pay carrier postage from your prepaid Rollo Ship Wallet.

For Mexico orders, the platform helps in three ways:

• One comparison. USPS and UPS® services appear together.
• Customs paperwork built in. CN22/CN23 forms or a commercial invoice, per carrier.
• One record per order. Labels and customs data stay together.

See how international shipping in Rollo Ship handles customs data. Shipping from Canada instead? UPS® Express, Express Saver and Expedited to Mexico are built in.

Pricing stays simple:

• Free to start, with no monthly subscription.
• There is no label fee on your first 200 lifetime labels, once per account; carrier postage still applies.
• Starting with your 201st lifetime label in Rollo Ship, your per-label fee is 5¢, 3¢, 2¢ or 1¢, based on your Rollo Rewards level at that point.
• Rollo Rewards lowers that fee to as little as 1¢.
• Postage for built-in USPS and UPS® services is paid from your prepaid Rollo Ship Wallet.

Rated 4.8 on Capterra. Used by 500,000+ users across the US and Canada.

Who This Is NOT For

This guide is for parcel shippers selling to buyers in Mexico. It covers small packages on postal and courier services. It skips freight, moves and formal imports. Those need a freight forwarder or customs broker. Mexico-to-US shipping follows different rules entirely. It isn’t built for:

• Freight, pallet, LTL or truckload shipments to Mexico.
• Household goods for a personal move.
• Shipments over USD 2,500 that need a formal entry.
• Shipping from Mexico to the US.

FAQs

What’s the Next Step for Your Mexico Orders?

Shipping to Mexico runs smoothest with clean data. Pick a service, collect the tax ID for UPS or FedEx, set duty terms. Then compare rates before you print. Know your duty tier before checkout. Tell buyers who pays on arrival. Those steps help prevent returns and refusals.

Rollo Ship is a multi-carrier shipping system. It brings USPS, UPS®, FedEx, Canada Post and Purolator together. FedEx and Purolator use your own accounts.